Harry Potter and the Death Eater's Kiss
by Jazzie Lumber
Summary: Set in Harry's 7th year. Harry blames himself for Sirius' death, until he meets a mysterious distant cousin of his with a twisted and haunted past. Death Eaters, curses, deadly secrets, and a love story to add to the potion. [COMPLETED]
1. Surprising and not so Surprising News

Hey everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fic so please, be nice..  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, only my original characters.  
  
Harry Potter and the Death Eater's Kiss  
  
Chapter 1: Surprising and not so Surprising News  
  
Harry Potter sat on his bed in his bedroom at Number Four Privet Drive. It was three in the morning of Saturday. August 20th. He was to be starting his seventh year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he was excited, for it was his last year, and for some reason, he felt that this year was going to be exceptionally exciting.  
  
Not that all of his six other years at Hogwarts weren't exciting, and well, most of you would know the story behind that.  
  
Ever since Voldemort had made his comeback publicly known, the Daily Prophet and even Muggle news practically screamed about violence and countless deaths of innocence. Voldemort had been the cause of mysterious deaths and disappearances in both the wizarding and Muggle world. Of course, the Ministry of Magic has been trying for the past year to conceal the real reason behind the wave of crime from muggles, since it would come as a terrible shock to them if they discovered that magic was real, let alone that it can be used against them. Man always feared what they did not understand.  
  
As Harry sat there, his mind wandering, he could hear the distant snores from his aunt, uncle and cousin. Since Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts, the Dursleys have changed a bit, understanding what the outcome of Voldemort's comeback would mean. Of course, they were still afraid of Harry and the rest of the people involved with him, and still tried their best to look normal. But they grew a bit softer and even granted Harry permission to go wherever he wanted and do almost everything he wanted, granted that he did not use magic, and that he "behaved". A part of the reason of this action was because after Harry's fifth year, members of the Advance Guard threatened them to treat Harry right in the first place or else, answer to them.  
  
Harry was to head to Number 12 Grimmauld Place that evening around midnight, but Harry could not sleep. Not because of excitement, but because of sadness and grief. He still blamed himself for Sirius' death in his fifth year, and was plagued constantly by dreams in which he would relive the ordeal, the fact that it could have been prevented, haunted Harry and had slowly begun to eat away at his conscience. His friends tried their best to convince him that things would be well, and that it was Sirius' fate to die. Harry was of course thankful, but it did not stop his boiling anger and thirst for revenge against Belatrix Lestrange.  
  
Harry picked up the mirror that Sirius had given him about a year ago. True, he broke it at the end of his fifth year, but when he discovered its other uses, he was able to fix it magically. He used it every once in a while to talk with Lupin about his doings at Number Four. Ron and Hermione were there as well to carry on conversations with Harry if he was ever feeling lonely.  
  
Harry looked back on the last time he tried calling out to someone from the mirror. He could see what was going on at the other side, vice-versa. When he tried talking in though, he could only see darkness, broken a bit by some moon light from the window. The mirror was facing the ceiling and he tried communicating to the other side.  
  
"Hello? Anyone there?" Harry recalled him saying that night. He listened carefully, and he could hear whispers coming from his right side.  
  
"Heeelllloooo?" He tried again. He listened again. Soon, the whisperers were soon very recognizable to Harry. They were the voices of Hermione and Ron!  
  
"I've loved you since the first day we met." He had heard Ron say.  
  
"Really? I've had feelings for you as well." He heard Hermione respond.  
  
Then, Harry heard no more, so he probably guessed that were snogging (translation: making out) and decided to wait until later. The memory of that event made Harry laugh silently. Ron has always loved Hermione, and Hermione has always loved Ron.  
  
Harry sighed with relief, as he had that time before. "Thank god those two have finally let it out." Harry said to himself with a smile.  
  
He decided that he was going to badger Ron about that later, when he got to Number 12.  
  
Harry thought more and more about things as he lay down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He looked to his left and smiled at the sleeping Hedwig in her cage.  
  
Harry has changed, both physically and emotionally. He has now grown taller, and was nearly as tall as Ron. He could probably be about 5'9", where Ron was already hitting six feet. He had gained some muscle from Quidditch, and finally convinced his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon to get him contacts. These contacts of course, had showed off his eyes more and had transformed him into a chick magnet. He didn't mind of course, but it was still pretty weird to him. He was seventeen after all, and in his adolescence years.  
  
Harry got up and opened his closet to peer at himself in the mirror. He was shirtless, and with a good enough shaped bod, abs and all. He wasn't at all changed by his appearance, but still liked the change all the same.  
  
He was more sensitive these days, and his temper has improved greatly, much to the satisfaction of many. Of course, he was still like any guy, but was now less rebellious in a way.  
  
Harry closed his closet door and laid down on his bed, sleep catching up to him.  
  
That morning at 11'oclock, Harry woke up to the screams of Aunt Petunia. Harry dressed quickly and ran down the stairs wand in hand. He followed the screams to the kitchen, where he found Aunt Petunia just screaming because a dark chocolate brown colored owl had landed on her head. Uncle Vernon and Dudley were struggling to get the owl, but it flew out of their grasp and flew around their heads. When Harry entered the kitchen, putting his wand in his pocket, and trying not to laugh at what he now fancied to call "The Three Stooges" the owl saw him and landed on his shoulder, a letter attached to his beak. Harry took the letter and the owl flew out the open kitchen window.  
  
The Dursleys gave Harry a look and Harry decided to skip brunch and went into the living room and sitting at the couch, opening the letter.  
  
Dear Mr. Potter,  
  
We have received information that a distant cousin of yours will be transferring to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She will be a foreign exchange student and will need help in finding her way around the school grounds. We ask that you will assist her in any of the things she may need.  
  
You will be meeting her on August 29th, Friday in the Leaky Cauldron. We have already informed Tom, the owner, of your arrival. Just ask him about room number 37 and he will lead you to your cousin.  
  
We regret that we cannot give you any further information on the matter, but we do trust that she will be safe if your hands.  
  
Thank you and have a pleasant day.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Minerva Mgonagal Deputy Headmistress. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
Harry put the letter down and sat on the couch, thinking about what he had just read. He had a distant cousin. But from which side of his family? What will he be like? Wait a minute, how can I know that this person is a she, or a he, oh well; I might as well wait until the 29th to find out more.  
  
He folded up the letter and headed up to his room. He picked up the mirror and sat at his desk, looking in his reflection.  
  
"Number 12." Harry said at the mirror.  
  
His reflection faded away and he found that the mirror was in the kitchen.  
  
"Hello?" Harry said.  
  
Lupin picked up the mirror and said, "Yes Harry?"  
  
"Good morning." Harry said.  
  
"Good morning Harry." Lupin said with a smile. He still looks the same, and just as shabby, but he looked much healthier, no doubt, to Mrs. Weasley's cooking.  
  
"Uh, I just got a letter from Professor Mgonagal, saying that I am going to meet a distant cousin of mine at the Leaky Cauldron on the 29th. " Harry said.  
  
"Ah I see, well that's news." Lupin said.  
  
"Do you have any idea who it could be?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't think so." Lupin replied thoughtfully.  
  
"Well, just thought I'd let you know that." Harry responded.  
  
"Yes, thank you for the update, see you later." Lupin said.  
  
"All right." Harry said.  
  
Lupin's face faded and was replaced by Harry's reflection. Harry put down the mirror and set to packing the things for his departure.  
  
That night, at 11:55 p.m., Harry brought his trunk, broomstick, cloak, and Hedwig's cage downstairs to the living room, with help from Dudley.  
  
The Dursleys strongly protested to Harry's leaving so late at night, but agreed to it, seeing that it was the only way they would get rid of Harry.  
  
Harry sat in the living room, with one lamp on, the curtains closed around all the windows in the room, so as to avoid any suspicious eyes.  
  
He sat there for about five minutes. At exactly 12 midnight, Harry heard a knock at the front door. He whipped out his wand and cautiously made his way to the door. He opened the door slowly and to his surprise saw Lupin, dressed in regular muggle clothes, which consisted oh a plain blue T-shirt and jeans.  
  
"All set Harry?" Lupin asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah." Harry replied, pocketing his wand. They quietly hauled out his trunk and other belongings into the trunk of a Yellow Taxi. Harry thought it best that he did not ask any questions about it until they were safely at their destination.  
  
Harry climbed into the backseat of the taxi and Lupin into the driver's seat. When Lupin secured everything, he started the engine and drove off. The minutes flew, then the hours, with less and more silence. It was a lot faster than they had expected and were soon at Number 12. Lupin turned off the engine and helped Harry carry his things to the front door of the Number 12 which had just appeared between houses Number 11 and 13. Harry and Lupin carried the things quietly inside the house and Lupin whispered him that he will be back in a while and left him standing in the now lit up hallway.  
  
Mrs. Weasley came out from Harry's left and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Welcome back Harry." She whispered.  
  
Harry smiled at her as Ron came down quietly out of another room to his left, with a grin on his face. Harry and Ron carried Harry's things to the room him and Ron was to share and closed the door behind him. Harry sat down on the bed.  
  
"Welcome back Harry!" Ron said, as Hermione and Ginny walked into the room, followed by Mr. Weasley, and to Harry's utter surprise, Percy.  
  
"Hello Harry!" Hermione said, pulling him into a hug.  
  
"Welcome back!" Ginny said.  
  
"Nice to see you again chap." Percy said when Hermione released Harry out of her grasp, his hand outstretched. Harry took with a smile and shook it. "Well, sorry Harry, but I have to be off, just came in to say hello. Good day everyone." Percy said, leaving the room  
  
"Great to see you all." Harry said, looking around at them.  
  
Ron was of course, still about two inches taller than Harry and was in great shape. He was no longer lanky and skinny, but buff and more healthy looking. His freckles showed off more than ever, and his red hair was still the same, but he still looked good.  
  
Hermione had grown taller as well, her bushy hair now straightened and in a pony tail. Her teeth were still as perfect as he had remembered, and now she had grown well, hotter, as one might say.  
  
Ginny had grown to be about the same height as Hermione, her long red hair coming down to a few inches above her waist, her blue eyes sparkling. She had also grown more feminine as well, considering that she was now sixteen.  
  
"So, uh, since when did Percy come back?" Harry asked, sitting on the bed again, remembering when Percy had deserted the family a year ago.  
  
"He came and apologized to mum and dad after Voldemort revealed himself to the Ministry." Ginny said, sitting next to Harry, while Ron and Hermione sat on Ron's bed.  
  
"That's good." Harry said.  
  
"Harry you've grown." Hermione said.  
  
"And you've got your hair straightened and flattened." Harry replied.  
  
"Well, things can change in a certain amount of time." Hermione said with a smile.  
  
"Speaking of changes," Harry said, grinning broadly, "I was trying to communicate with you guys over here with the mirror a few days ago, but no one was answering."  
  
"Well what's that got to do with change?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
"When I tried to listen if anyone was there, I heard you and Hermione whispering to each other." Harry said, still grinning.  
  
Ron and Hermione turned both turned as red as Ron's hair.  
  
"I see... so then there has been some snogging going on around here?' Harry, trying to suppress his laughter.  
  
Hermione laughed nervously and Ginny began to giggle hysterically. Harry began to laugh too.  
  
"What's so funny about us hooking up?" Ron asked, embarrassed.  
  
"Oh nothing, it's just that, we have been waiting for so long to happen." Ginny said, when she slowly stopped laughing.  
  
"I mean there is so much that Harry and I could have done to help you two get together. You guys just had to find it in yourselves to say it to each other." Ginny continued, grinning as broadly as Harry.  
  
Harry stopped laughing and looked at Ginny and then looked back at Ron and Hermione. His stomach had somersaulted at the sight of Ginny, and now it was doing it again as Ginny laughed. Harry kept his grin pasted on his face and clamed himself down. He had only experienced that type of tension when he was crushing on Cho, but was he doing because now he was over Cho and crushing on Ginny? Harry shook this off and smiled at Ron and Hermione.  
  
"What are you smiling about?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm just happy for you two, that's all." Harry said. "So, what news on the Order?" Harry asked.  
  
"They've been tracking down Voldemort and his followers. Apparently, Malfoy and the other Death Eaters we caught in our fifth year are still in Azkaban. It seems as if Voldemort doesn't want to go and rescue them or something." Hermione said with a serious look on her face.  
  
"Last Voldemort was seen, he was in Transylvania, recruiting vampires and werewolves in the area and such." Ginny said.  
  
"I see." Harry said.  
  
"Well, we heard about this distant cousin of yours and I think we'd like to accompany you in meeting her." Ron said.  
  
"Oh yeah." Harry said.  
  
"I wonder how he, or she, is going to be like?" Ginny wondered.  
  
"Maybe she'll be drop dead gorgeous!" Ron said enthusiastically, getting a glare from Hermione. "Just a joke love, just a joke." Ron said nervously looking at Hermione.  
  
They continued talking through the early hours of the morning, and when the sun had come up, they headed down for breakfast, not exhausted but energized. 


	2. Jesabelle Potter

Sorrie I didn't put an author's note at the bottom of the page of the first chapter! I completely forgot. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter and I hope you enjoy this one, happy reading!  
  
Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.  
  
Chapter2: Jesabelle Potter  
  
The next nine days passed uneventful, if you don't count that Charlie had arrived at Number 12 on the 28th and didn't talk in a whisper, causing the portrait of Sirius' mother to wail and scream again.  
  
"FILTHY MUDBLOODS, DIRTYING MY HOUSE! RUBBISH! RUBBISH!" she yelled.  
  
On the morning of Friday, August 29th, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron, dressed in muggle clothes, hitched a taxi to the Leaky Cauldron and arrived there in little time.  
  
When the four teenagers walked into the Leaky Cauldron, everyone suddenly grew silent, and then began to talk in whispers. The teens gave them weird looks and walked over to the bar, where Tom was cleaning a few goblets.  
  
"Good day, Tom." Harry said.  
  
"Hello Harry! And a good day to all of you too." Tom said, happily looking around at them. "I suppose, you are here about your cousin then?" he asked, lowering his voice a bit.  
  
"Yes." Harry said.  
  
"Ah yes! Well, I'm afraid she's not here at the moment." Tom said, putting the goblet down and wiping another one.  
  
"She? Well then, where is she?" Harry asked, a bit worried.  
  
"Oh don't worry Mr. Potter, I told her to just stay at Flourish and Blotts. It is her favorite store after all." Tom said. "Just head on into the alley."  
  
Harry nodded thanks to him and proceeded into the alley. When he had touched all the right bricks, he stepped into the alley, Ginny to his side, followed by Ron and Hermione, who were hand in hand.  
  
It took them about two minutes to get to Flourish and Blotts and stepped inside, where there was a small table displaying a bunch of books entitled "A Witch and Wizard's Guide to the Emotions of the Heart". Ginny and Hermione giggled as they looked at the books and went among the other shelves to get their school books, as Harry looked around the store.  
  
Harry had no idea what this girl would look like. She could have been any of the girls in the store. A few minutes later, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny came out of a shelf, carrying a pile of books in their hands. Ron had gotten Harry his books, seeing that he would have to look for his cousin. They paid for their purchases and looked around again in the bookstore.  
  
They almost gave up hope when Ginny had the idea of going in the back to see if she was hiding out there. They agreed and headed back to the back shelves.  
  
In the farthest side of the back of the store, there were dusty volumes on Vampire history, books on boggarts, werewolves, and other creatures.  
  
They were surprised to see, however, a young girl with sleek black hair done in loose pigtails wearing jeans, sneakers, and a white T-shirt underneath a coat. She was about Harry's age holding a book on Vampire civil wars, talking to a boy with sleek blonde hair and gray eyes. It was Draco Malfoy.  
  
Malfoy looked the same, skinny, but he looked a little more modest if one could be so bold to say so. He was buffer, and totally looked hot.  
  
As Harry and the others rounded the corner, Malfoy noticed them and looked up saying, "Well, look who it is, famous Mr. and Mrs. Scar head, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasel."  
  
They all glared at him with the utmost irritation.  
  
"I don't think this young lady here would like to have her beautiful dreams spoiled into nightmares in which she would see your dreadful face again and again Malfoy." Harry said in reply.  
  
Malfoy's sneer changed into a grimace, but he recovered shooting back, "You had better watch you and your friend's back Potter, you all might die sooner than you think." And with that, he turned and left in a huff.  
  
Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry laughed. When they finished Harry turned to the girl, who had turned to them. They saw that she had dark brown eyes and fairly tanned skin, yet pale looking. She had a soft hearted, but serious, oval-shaped face.  
  
"Oh sorry, I'm Harry, Harry Potter." Harry said, extending his hand to her.  
  
"Harry!" the girl said, griping a very confused Harry's hand and shaking it.  
  
After shaking it a few times, she looked at the others, bewildered, around her.  
  
"Sorry, I'm Jesabelle Potter, your distant cousin, the foreign exchange student." Jesabelle said smiling.  
  
"Oh! Wonderful to meet you Jesabelle." Harry said. "This is Ron, Hermione; they're boyfriend and girlfriend."  
  
"Harry!" Hermione said, embarrassed.  
  
"Just letting her know, Moine." Harry said, grinning. "And this is Ginny." Harry said, gesturing to Ginny, who smiled at Jesabelle.  
  
"It's great to meet all of you." Jesabelle said, beaming.  
  
They smiled at her and they decided to pay for what other things they wanted to buy and headed to Flotescue's (A/N: I hope I got that right..0_0) Ice Cream Parlor, sipping on some shakes.  
  
"So, what year are you?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Mmmm, I'm a seventh year." Jesabelle said, putting her shake down on the table.  
  
"That's great! So are Harry, Ron and Hermione! I'm a sixth year." Ginny said.  
  
"Cool." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Do you know what house you're gonna be in?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah, they sorted me about a week ago. I'm set to be in Gryffindor!" Jesabelle said.  
  
"Wow! We're all in Gryffindor too!" Ron said. "Isn't that wicked or what?"  
  
They all laughed and continued to sip on their shakes. They went on in happy conversation when Malfoy walked by, Pansy Parkinson walking beside him, looking rather smug. Malfoy and Parkinson then cast a glance and wrinkled their noses in disgust.  
  
But as Malfoy laid eyes on Jesabelle, who had been watching him as well, he felt his stomach turn upside down.  
  
Harry could have sworn that Malfoy's eyes glinted as he looked as Jesabelle. He regarded it as a trick of the sunlight and regarded with no further meaning than that.  
  
"I hope Malfoy wasn't bothering you earlier on in the bookstore." Hermione said, turning to Jesabelle after Malfoy and Parkinson had passed by and were out of sight.  
  
"Oh no, actually, he was trying to help me out." Jesabelle said.  
  
Ron choked on his shake and Ginny, Harry, and Hermione's mouths dropped open slightly.  
  
"The prat tried to help you?!" Ron asked, coughing slightly.  
  
"Is that difficult to believe?" Jesabelle asked, puzzled.  
  
"Jesabelle, Draco Malfoy, and all other Slytherins, are the type of people you would rather avoid and ignore." Hermione said, closing her mouth.  
  
"You do know the houses right?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Yes, actually. I read Hogwarts: A History last week. A very interesting place to have a school. I'm very excited to see it in its solid form and all." Jesabelle replied.  
  
"Finally!" Hermione said, causing Ron to jump. "Someone else who has read Hogwarts: A History!"  
  
Ron sniggered into his shake, causing Jesabelle to be more confused.  
  
"Just stay away from the Slytherins, Malfoy most of all." Harry said, "You'll never know what he's up to next."  
  
"And don't forget Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's cronies. They're so thick!: Ginny said, laughing.  
  
"Well, from the way he was acting at the book shop before he saw you lot, he was very kind to me, a pure gentleman." Jesabelle said with a shrug, which caused Ron to choke on his shake again. Hermione rolled her eyes and slapped Ron behind the head.  
  
"Oi! What was that for?!" Ron said, rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"For being a git! That's what it was for." Hermione said, opening a book that was sitting on her lap.  
  
"I thought you were my girlfriend!" Ron said.  
  
"I am." Hermione said calmly.  
  
"Then what did you hit me for?" Ron said.  
  
"I already told you, for being a git. Just because I am your girlfriend, doesn't mean that I can't give you reminders about how stupid you can be sometimes." Hermione said, grinning.  
  
Ron continued grumbling, casing the others to laugh.  
  
"Just take my word for it Jesabelle," Harry said, "Slytherins are the type of people who turn out to be dark wizards."  
  
"Right, well, I'll take your word for it Harry; you are my cousin after all." Jesabelle said, smiling. Harry smiled back at her and they talked about Quidditch for the rest of their time there.  
  
When the day had ended, they left Jesabelle at the Leaky Cauldron where she was staying, and headed back to Number 12.  
  
On September 1st, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny walked into the barrier leading to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, finding Jesabelle already standing by a few feet away, looking around, and apparently, lost. It was 10:55, and they still had time to spare.  
  
The others walked over to her, and they helped each other load their trunks at the back of the train. When they were ready, they climbed onto the train.  
  
"Well, we'd better head off." Ginny said. "Prefects are required at the Prefects compartment, where we get to meet the Head Boy and Girl."  
  
"Oh, you, Ron, and Hermione are prefects! How exciting." Jesabelle said, fascinated.  
  
"It's not all it's cracked up to be, Jesabelle, trust me." Ron said.  
  
"Jesabelle, can you look for an empty compartment, I'm going to have a word with Ginny." Harry said.  
  
"Ohhhhh, I see, okay, I got it." Jesabelle said winking as Harry blushed slightly. "No problem Harry."  
  
Jesabelle giggled and turned to look for an empty compartment on the train.  
  
Jesabelle had been looking for five minutes, finding that most of the compartments near the front and even in the middle were full. She finally found one, a little bit off the middle of the train and stepped inside, closing the compartment door behind her.  
  
She was wearing black jeans, and a gray hooded sweatshirt, with Converse All Star sneakers. Her hair was in a braid, with a black ponytail tying up the end. She was doing the sporty, yet comfortable look.  
  
She sat on the left side and stared out the window, sighing. She had been so engrossed with the scenery that she did not notice that as people passed by, some of the male students, okay, most of the male students in the area noticed the new girl and crowded around the compartment door, blocking the hallway. Some of the girls rolled their eyes and left in a huff, irritated.  
  
When she did turn around however, she yelped in surprise and opened the compartment door. Several of the boys tried to go into the compartment at the same time and ended up breaking the compartment door, finally some of them began to back away, for Jesabelle was so startled that she whipped out her wand and pointed it at them.  
  
They immediately stopped fighting and stared at the wand.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" said a voice.  
  
They all turned around and cleared the way, for Draco Malfoy walked into the compartment, looking around at them.  
  
"Nothing, just a little spiff, easily fixed." Seamus said.  
  
"Then if you are finished, please clear out, you have frightened this charming young lady here, and I don't think you want to be hexed by her just yet." Malfoy said, wearing a smirk.  
  
The guys rolled their eyes and cleared out.  
  
"What a mess." Jesabelle said from behind Malfoy. "Arucules Reparo." With a wave of her wand, Jesabelle restored the compartment door. She walked past Malfoy and stood on the side of the doorway saying, "Thank you very much Draco, now if you will p[lease leave, I will very obliged."  
  
"Oh you are very welcome Jesabelle, but I would like to have a word with you." Malfoy said, gesturing to Jesabelle to have a seat.  
  
"I think I'd rather stand, thank you." Jesabelle said, closing the compartment door and walked over to the window leaning on it.  
  
"If you insist. Are you sure?" Malfoy said.  
  
Jesabelle sat down on the right side. To her surprise, Malfoy sat next to her. Their bodies were about a foot apart.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to tell you to watch your back and have a good year. If you need any help, in anything, I would be very happy to offer my advice and services." Malfoy said smiling.  
  
It was Jesabelle's stomach's turn to go upside down. Malfoy's smile had enchanted her, but Harry words about him at Diagon Alley entered her mind and she quickly set the thought aside.  
  
"Thank you again Draco. Now if you will excuse me, I would like to be left alone. I don't think Harry would like to see you within even five feet near me." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Is Potter your boyfriend or something?" Draco asked in a would be calm voice.  
  
Jesabelle noticed the tone of his voice and smiled to herself saying, "He's my cousin."  
  
"Your cousin?" Draco asked, puzzled.  
  
"Yes, I'm her cousin." Harry said from the now open compartment door, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny behind him. "Now, if you will kindly leave Jesabelle alone, I am sure that all will be well Malfoy."  
  
"I don't think that someone like YOU Potter should be bossing Hogwarts' Head Boy around." Malfoy said, standing up, grinning and pointing at his Head Boy badge, which Jesabelle hadn't noticed, begin too preoccupied with Draco's face.  
  
Jesabelle couldn't believe how his personality changed so rapidly. First he was actually being decent, and then he started acting all bad and everything when Harry and the rest came.  
  
"Head Boy?" Ron asked, astonished. "HEAD BOY?!"  
  
"Argh, disgusting." Hermione said.  
  
"Now, Potter, please take your filth and the rest of the filth you call friends and leave me to my conversation with Ms. Jesabelle." Malfoy said, smirking.  
  
"Watch your words Malfoy." Jesabelle said, standing between the two and facing Malfoy. "If you insult Harry you might as well be insulting me as well. I am a Potter after all." Jesabelle said.  
  
Malfoy was shocked, she had called him Malfoy, just like the rest did. And to think, they were on a first name basis just earlier on. But he got over it in a few seconds, his mouth slightly open.  
  
"I believe our conversation had come to an end Malfoy." Jesabelle continued. "Please leave this compartment; I don't want you leaving any of YOUR filth in our compartment."  
  
Everyone, Malfoy included, was surprised at this. Malfoy was the first one to recover from the shock and narrowed his eyes, grinned, and walked out without another word.  
  
Harry and the other pilled into the compartment and sat down; Ron and Hermione sitting side by side on the right, and Ginny and Harry sitting on the left. They were still shocked as Jesabelle closed the compartment door, locked it and sat down next to Harry, staring out the window.  
  
"What are you all shocked about?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
Harry recovered, then, Hermione, Ginny, then Ron. Harry shook his head, and then gave her a weird look.  
  
"Okay, one, Malfoy become nice to you at Diagon Alley, two, judging by his smugness just now, you two were carrying on a nice conversation, and three, you two were on a first name basis." Harry said, counting it off on his fingers.  
  
"Have you gone mad of something Jesabelle?" Ron asked. "You are being friendly with Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy, the Head Boy! You're .. you're ... fraternizing with the enemy." Ron continued.  
  
"Now where have I heard that before?" Hermione said sarcastically.  
  
Harry sniggered, Ron had said the same thing to Hermione in their fourth year, when Hermione went with Viktor Krum to the Yule Ball.  
  
"Well, he's a bit weird I guess. I mean just before you guys came in, he was actually being decent, mind you, decent. He was actually offering me help if I needed it anytime during the school year, not that Harry can help me out of course." Jesabelle said. "And then he turned sour when you guys came."  
  
There was silence after this in which Harry said, "I don't like it."  
  
"I don't either." Hermione said thoughtfully.  
  
"Me neither." Ron said.  
  
"Same here." Ginny said.  
  
"He must be up to something." Harry said. "He might be planning to use you against us or something."  
  
"Get a grip you guys; I can take care of myself. Of course I also found it peculiar, but it doesn't bother me that much at all, except for the fact he insults all of you all the time. Now that, I don't like." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Which reminds me, great come back." Ron said admiringly.  
  
"I have met people a bit worse than he is, so I know how to deal with him." Jesabelle said. They smiled at her and decided to lighten the mood by playing Wizard's Chess for the rest of the train ride. 


	3. Back Home

Oh no! I forgot to put another author's note at the bottom of the page again! Grrrrr...never mind -_-.  
  
Sorry I know, I changed the title of the story, I hope I haven't caused any inconveniences. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I only own my original characters; other characters belong to the genius J.K. Rowling. You go girl! ^_~  
  
Chapter 3: Back Home  
  
Harry and the rest of the them had already changed into their school robes and uniforms as the train halted to a stop at Hogsmeade station. They stepped off the train and saw Hagrid signaling to the first years to follow him.  
  
"Firs' years over here!" Hagrid said, towering above the other students.  
  
"That's Hagrid, a friend of ours. He's half giant, half human." Harry told Jesabelle as they waved to Hagrid and headed towards the carriages that were to bring them to the castle.  
  
"Oh I see...thestrals!" Jesabelle said, pointing at the horse that was in front of the carriage. "Wow, I don't remember reading about them in Hogwarts: A History."  
  
"So you can see them as well then?" Ron asked as they climb in.  
  
"Yes I can." Jesabelle said.  
  
"So you have seen death?" Ron asked.  
  
"Ron!" Ginny said.  
  
"It's quite all right Ginny. Yes, I have seen death." Jesabelle said, turning to the window, a sad expression creeping across her face. She quickly hid it, but not fast enough. The others noticed, glared at Ron and decided to stay quiet as the carriage began to move towards the castle.  
  
They walked into the huge oak front doors and into the hallway. They headed to the Great Hall, which was still the same, with its golden plates, goblets, and the ceiling which imitated the sky on the outside of the castle.  
  
Jesabelle looked up and around in great interest at the part of the castle she was in.  
  
"Completely amazing!" Jesabelle whispered.  
  
Jesabelle was so preoccupied with her surroundings that she walked right into a girl about her age.  
  
"Oh I'm terribly sorry, I-." Jesabelle began.  
  
"Watch where you're going! Are you blind?!" rudely said a girl about Jesabelle's age, a little shorter than Jesabelle, and much more petite and feminine looking. She had blue eyes, and curly blonde hair that was cut a few inches under her shoulders.  
  
Jesabelle looked down at her and noticed who she was. The other girl looked as Jesabelle as well, and then a smirk appeared across her face.  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had stopped, standing behind Jesabelle.  
  
"Ga-Ga- Gabriel Parker?" Jesabelle asked, shock in her voice.  
  
"Jesabelle Potter. It's been so long, hasn't it?" Debrah said, still smirking. "Well, I had better be off. I want to make sure that I get a good seat at the Slytherin table." She then left, leaving Jesabelle standing there, dumbfounded.  
  
"Let's head inside." Hermione said.  
  
Ron nodded and went with Hermione, followed by Ginny, then by Harry and a very shocked Jesabelle.  
  
They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Jesabelle sat on the right side, so as not to see Gabriel.  
  
Jesabelle was so preoccupied that she didn't notice that half the guys were staring at her, and the other half were staring at Debrah.  
  
"So, who is this Gabriel Parker?" Harry asked, who was sitting on her left side, and Ginny on her right.  
  
"I used to go to school with her." Jesabelle said. "She turned an innocent school year, into a year of torture for me."  
  
"I see." Harry said.  
  
"Well, she reminds me a lot of Pansy Parkinson, you know, the one that hangs around Malfoy a lot? Yeah, her." Hermione said.  
  
"Hmmm, I figured she'd be in Slytherin." Jesabelle said thoughtfully. "She always was a pain in the butt."  
  
The others sniggered at this statement and stopped when Professor Mgonagal walked into the Great Hall with the first years.  
  
The sorting took place as usual, without anything eventful happening, if you don't count that a girl named Alyssa Carlson, tripped over on her way to the Ravenclaw table.  
  
When the Sorting had ended, Professor Mgonagal took the Sorting Hat and three legged stool to a backroom behind the staff's table. When she came back, only seconds later, Dumbledore stood up and beamed around at the students.  
  
"A good evening to everyone." He began. "It is wonderful to see you here to yet begin another year here at Hogwarts. I have a few start of the year notices to give out. All students are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest. Mr. Filch has once again asked me to remind you that all joke items purchased from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes are prohibited, there is a list of all other things prohibited posted at the front of Mr. Filch's door if you wish to see it."  
  
He paused and looked around at everyone. "This year," Dumbledore continued, "we are welcoming a few foreign exchange students for the school year. I suppose it will be easy to spot them for you. Just look for the people you have not seen before. All students must be in their dormitories by 9:30 p.m., no exceptions. All students are forbidden to leave the castle after dark. We have set these rules as a safety precaution to all the students." He paused again. "And now, dig in!"  
  
With that, food appeared on the golden plates, and soon, the students were happily chattering and eating to their heart's delight.  
  
Hermione was eating as if she hadn't eaten in days.  
  
"Bloody hell Hermione." Ginny said, sounding a lot like her brother, Ron.  
  
"I think Ron kind of rubbed of on you. Look at how fast you're eating. You're eating almost as fast, and almost as much as Ron is eating!" Ginny said.  
  
Harry and Jesabelle laughed at this, causing Hermione to choke a bit on her baked chicken.  
  
Ginny and Harry were explaining all the teachers to Jesabelle when Professor Mgonagal tapped Jesabelle on the shoulder.  
  
"Good evening dear." She said.  
  
"Good evening Professor." Jesabelle said, turning around to face her.  
  
"Yes, you and Miss Granger are to meet with Professor Dumbledore after dinner in his office, he needs to speak to you about your own start of term notices." Mgonagal said, looking at Hermione, who was sitting across from Jesabelle.  
  
"All right Professor. Thank you very much." Jesabelle said as Hermione nodded her head to show she understood. Apparently, she had too much food in her mouth, so she couldn't exactly talk.  
  
When everyone had finished, and the last treacle fudge disappeared form the golden plates, Dumbledore got up again saying, "Now that we have enjoyed the welcome back feast, I would like to introduce to you all our new Defenses Against the Dark Arts Teacher! Everyone please welcome Professor Nymphadora Tonks!"  
  
Everyone clapped as Harry and the others looked up to see Tonks, her hair now dark red and in a tight ponytail, stand up to greet the students with a smile.  
  
"All right, now everyone off to bed, for tomorrow is a new day!" Dumbledore said.  
  
Everyone got up to leave, except for Jesabelle and Hermione, who said goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Ginny, who headed up with the other Gryffindors to the dormitories.  
  
But before that, they walked over to speak to Tonks, who was walking out the doors into the hallway.  
  
"It's great to see you all." Tonks said, smiling.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, Dumbledore suggested I'd take a break from my present job and come to teach as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I'm quite good at teaching you know. Plus," Tonks said, lowering he voice, "he wanted me to come so as to keep an eye on the whole lot of you, considering that you can take care of yourselves."  
  
"I see." Harry said, looking at Jesabelle. "Which reminds me, Tonks, this is Jesabelle, the cousin I was talking about." Harry continued, pulling Jesabelle over to him.  
  
"A pure pleasure to meet you Jesabelle." Tonks said, shaking her hand.  
  
"And the same goes to you Professor Tonks." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Professor Tonks. That has a nice ring to it." Tonks said, laughing. "Well, I'd better be off to get a good night's rest. Good night, I will see you all tomorrow." Tonks said, walking away and waving to them.  
  
Jesabelle and Hermione made their way to Dumbledore's office, where, as usual they found the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office.  
  
"I wonder where the Headmaster is." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Well, lets see, I guess we'll just wait for him here." Hermione said.  
  
A few seconds later, Dumbledore appeared, followed by none other that Malfoy.  
  
"Hello, hello girls. Well, let's get hopping then." Dumbledore said, turning to the gargoyle. "Sugar Quill." Dumbledore said. The gargoyle sprang to life, and they all stood on a step as the staircase began to rise. When they had stopped at the doors, Dumbledore opened them and stepped inside his office, holding open the door for the others to enter.  
  
"This will only take a while, don't worry." Dumbledore said as he closed the door and walked over to hid desk, sitting behind it. He gestured to the other to have a seat in three armchairs that had been set up for them in front of the desk.  
  
"Hermione, Draco, seeing as you are both Head Boy and Head Girl, you two will be sharing a dormitory on the fifth floor." Dumbledore said to Draco and Hermione.  
  
"What?!" Malfoy said. "I must protest sir, I am not going to share a dormitory with.with...HER" he continued, pointing at Hermione. Jesabelle was shocked but couldn't resist herself from laughing silently at his reaction.  
  
"I must actually agree sir." Hermione said.  
  
"I understand your differences, but I have organized this so that you two may be able to set aside your differences and work together. You two are now prime leaders of this school, and I think the company you two will share together will help in your working relationship when you two organize events for the school year." Dumbledore continued.  
  
"But, but." Malfoy said.  
  
"No ifs, ands, or buts Mr. Malfoy, it is settled." Dumbledore said firmly, silencing Malfoy. "And, as for you my dear," Dumbledore said, turning to Jesabelle, "you will use Hermione's empty bed in Gryffindor Tower."  
  
"All right Headmaster." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Now, Draco, Hermione, please leave the room, I want to have a word with Jesabelle in private." Dumbledore said.  
  
Draco nodded and left the room, with an irritated look on his face, followed by Hermione, who looked just as agitated.  
  
Hermione waited outside for Jesabelle as Malfoy stalked down the stairs mumbling to himself.  
  
Jesabelle came out a few minutes later, carrying a smoking goblet with water like liquid in it, giving off a scent that smelled like lilacs.  
  
"What's that for?" Hermione asked, as they made their way down the staircase.  
  
"Oh, it's just something that Professor Dumbledore gave me for my condition." Jesabelle said casually.  
  
"What condition?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Oh just some little potion to make sure that I don't turn sickly during the school year." Jesabelle said, looking ahead of her.  
  
Hermione suspected something was up, but regarded the potion just as some sort of medicine to keep her immune to a disease of some sort.  
  
Jesabelle bid Hermione good night and made her way to Gryffindor Tower. When she got there, she realized that she did not know the password. She was about to panic when the portrait swung open and Harry stepped out.  
  
"Oh, there you are!" he said, smiling. "I thought you had gotten lost or something and I was going to come out and look for you."  
  
"That's nice of you Harry; actually, I didn't know the password, I beginning to panic when you came out."  
  
Harry laughed and opened the portrait for her to step in. Ginny was sitting with Ron at another table. Everyone seemed to have gone up to bed, apparently, they must have been waiting for her to come back. She stood up when she saw Jesabelle.  
  
"Hey Jes! Where's Hermione?" Ginny said, looking around for Hermione.  
  
"She has to share a dormitory with that Head Boy git." Jesabelle said, sighing.  
  
"What?!" Ginny said.  
  
"Dumbledore said it would be better for their working relationship as leaders of the school." Jesabelle said, sitting on an empty armchair near the fire, the smoking goblet in her hand.  
  
"Is he mad?! I am going to go and have a talk with him! He can't just make my girlfriend stay with a git like that! I mean, he might do something to her!" Ron said, standing up, and closing his hands tightly into fists. "He had better not lay a hand on her!" he continued, waving a fist in the air.  
  
"Calm down, Ron, we can talk to him tomorrow about it, and besides, Malfoy's not that stupid to do something like that under our noses, and Hermione can take care of herself." Harry said, sitting in the chair Ron was occupying.  
  
"I suppose." Ron said, breathing heavily, calming himself down.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" Ginny asked Jesabelle, pointing at the smoking goblet in her hand.  
  
"It's helps controls my condition. Makes sure I'm not going to spill sick around, if you catch my drift." Jesabelle said, looking at the liquid in the goblet.  
  
Ginny and the others gave the goblet a nervous look but dropped it.  
  
"Well, we had better head to bed." Jesabelle said, drinking the potion in one gulp, setting it down on a table near the fireplace for the house elves to take, and headed upstairs.  
  
"Good night everyone." Jesabelle said, not looking back at the others.  
  
The others gave the goblet another look and shrugged it off, heading to sleep themselves. 


	4. Welcome to Hogwarts Part One

Hey everyone, I'm back! I hope you enjoyed that last chapter! Anyways, I love how Ron gets all over protective of Hermione, it's so cute! ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, only my original characters! ^_~  
  
Chapter 4: Welcome to Hogwarts (Part One)  
  
Jesabelle walked into the Great Hall with Ginny to find that Hermione was already there, looking irritated as if she didn't sleep well last night.  
  
Ginny and Jesabelle sat on either side of her.  
  
"What happened Hermione?" Jesabelle asked, as Harry, Ron, and Neville sat down across them. "Did Malfoy give you a hard time?"  
  
"Humph" Hermione said. "He didn't let me into the dormitory, and didn't even tell me the password! Argh. He wouldn't let me in until I threatened to tell Dumbledore about the ordeal." Hermione grumbled. "But don't worry. I talked to Dumbledore, so he can't lock me out of the dormitory, because Dumbledore helped the portrait learn who I was so that when he tries to lock me out, he can't because the portrait already knows that I belong in the room behind it."  
  
"Which reminds me, I should try to convince him to take you out of that dormitory." Ron said getting up.  
  
"No, Ron, this is final, Dumbledore will not change his mind." Hermione said firmly. "Besides, it's all right with me, as long as we keep to our own sides of the dormitory."  
  
Ron opened his mouth to say something but then closed it.  
  
Professor McGonagall walked down the table, handing them their schedules.  
  
"Aw, we have double potions today with the Slytherins." Harry said, sighing.  
  
They all groaned in unison, spending and hour and a half in the hot dungeons with the Slytherins, and under Snape's prying eye was not a good thing for them or the Gryffindors. Snape was always looking for some reason to take points off the Gryffindors, much to the entertainment of the Slytherins.  
  
Jesabelle laughed silently and took a look at her schedule as well.  
  
September 2nd - Tuesday (Class Schedule)  
  
1: Transfiguration 2: History of Magic 3: Astrology 4: Herbology 5: Care of Magical Creatures 6: Potions 7: Potions  
  
"So, what's Care of Magical Creatures like?" Jesabelle asked, while reading the schedule in her hand and taking a swig of orange juice.  
  
"Well, uh, Hagrid teaches that class." Ron said.  
  
"It's all right I guess, but I warn you, it isn't a picnic." Hermione said.  
  
"That's true, I mean, he once had a Norwegian Ridgeback as a pet in our first year." Ron said.  
  
"Really? But it's against the law to have one of those here." Jesabelle said, putting down her schedule.  
  
"Yeah, well, that's Hagrid for you. Leave it up to him to find something dangerous for us to study." Ron replied, causing everyone to laugh.  
  
"He seems like a really nice person though." Jesabelle said, looking up at the staff table at Hagrid, who was making good conversation with Tonks.  
  
"He is, it's just that he doesn't know where his boundaries are." Hermione said, scooping a spoonful of porridge into her mouth.  
  
Jesabelle looked over to Ginny's schedule and realized that she had the same classes as they did.  
  
"Hey Ginny, are you advanced or something?" Jesabelle said.  
  
"Yeah, McGonagall moved me up to seventh year, since I was more equip for it, and since I got some of the highest scores on my O.W.L.s."  
  
"Cool" Jesabelle said as Harry turned to Hermione.  
  
"So, Hermione, any updates on spew?" Harry asked teasingly.  
  
"It's S.P.E.W. Harry!" Hermione said aggravated.  
  
"S.PE.W.?" Jesabelle asked. "Oh! That program you're running for house-elf freedom right?"  
  
"Yes, that's right." Hermione said with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, Harry told me about it. Sounds interesting." Jesabelle said.  
  
"You think everything is interesting!" Ginny said, laughing.  
  
Everyone else laughed at this, including Jesabelle.  
  
Transfiguration and everything else went though like a blur, but everything began to slow down when they headed to Care of Magical Creatures.  
  
As they all walked down the yard to Hagrid's hut, they could hear the same lazy drawling of Draco Malfoy coming up from behind.  
  
"I thought they already threw him out, the big oaf." Malfoy said, yawning in boredom.  
  
"He's such a terrible teacher." Came the voice of Pansy Parkinson.  
  
Harry and the others rolled their eyes and walked to the front of the class, waiting for Hagrid at the side of his hut. When the entire class had assembled, Hagrid appeared out of his hut and walked over to them, obviously in a good mood.  
  
"Good mornin' everyone!" Hagrid said with a smile. "All right everyone, if you'll follow me, we shall begin our first lesson of the year."  
  
They all followed him, though most of the class was reluctant to see what Hagrid had in store for them this year.  
  
Hagrid lead them to a picket, where in their third year, they had met the hippogriffs.  
  
The class held their breath as they turned the corner, not knowing what might come out of it.  
  
They were surprised though to see a bunch of birds, about 20 or more, that resembled ferrets, except they were talking, and saying very rude remarks too. They were about as big as ostriches, except they didn't have the long neck and all. They were all tied up to sticks stuck into the ground.  
  
"You're all trash, a bunch of trash." One of the ferrets said, laughing a laugh that sounded mostly like a squawk.  
  
"Jarveys!' Hagrid said enthusiastically. "They're mostly found in Britain, Ireland, and North America. Now, who can tell me what they see in the Jarveys."  
  
As usual, Hermione's hand shot up like a cannon.  
  
"Yes Hermione?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"Jarveys can talk, but they mostly say rude remarks to whoever they see." Hermione said. "And," she continued, looking straight at Malfoy, "it mostly resembles an oversized ferret."  
  
The whole class laughed at this while Hermione explained the event that took place in their fourth year, when the fake Professor Moody turned Malfoy into a ferret and bounced him up and down from the ground. Hearing this, Jesabelle laughed with the class as well.  
  
"Very good, ten points to Gryffindor." Hagrid said over the laughter.  
  
Malfoy looked around at all of them. They were all laughing except for the Slytherins, who were just giving Hermione dirty looks. Since Malfoy was seventh year, combined with his popularity, it made him the head of the students of the Slytherins house, under Snape that is. And if anyone insulted him, they became instant enemies, but then again, anyone who was friend with Harry Potter were all enemies already.  
  
When the class settled down, Hagrid continued.  
  
"Now that we are all refreshed, thank you very much for that Hermione." Hagrid said, grinning at Hermione, he had found the joke funny as well. "From now until possibly the start of Christmas break, you will be assigned a partner for that period of time."  
  
The class groaned at this.  
  
"And," Hagrid said, trying to put an end to the groaning. "you and your partner will have to work together to either tame the Jarvey, or befriend it if possible. You will have to feed it everyday, and treat it with the utmost respect. But, you are not to poison it. If you and your partner's Jarvey dies, you will fail this part of the class. Plus, I will be grading the way you and your partner work together, so that means you must all treat each other with respect, or at least, tolerance."  
  
The rest looked around at the Jarveys.  
  
"You are not permitted to have a battle of cut lows with the Jarvey either, we do not want to have a repetition of the hippogriff situation now, do we?" Hagrid said, looking Malfoy in the eye. "Now, for the pairing."  
  
"Harry and Ginny, Hermione and Ron, Pansy and Justin" Hagrid said, reading from a piece of parchment he took out of his pocket. Parkinson and Justin eyed each other with the utmost disgust.  
  
"And lastly, Malfoy and Jesabelle." Hagrid finished, causing the class to look over at Jesabelle, then at Malfoy.  
  
Jesabelle, who was examining the Jarveys, did not hear Hagrid. When she realized that the class was looking at her, she turned to Hagrid, saying, "Excuse me Hagrid, but could you please repeat the name of my partner?"  
  
"You are paired with Malfoy my dear." Hagrid said, looking at Malfoy, who had the look as if he wanted to kill Jesabelle with his eyes. "Now, everyone, choose a Jarvey, and get to work, there are boxes of dead rats, moles, and voles to the left side of the picket."  
  
Everyone began to walk cautiously into the picket, while Harry and the others stayed back to talk to Hagrid.  
  
"Hagrid are you sure about this pairing?" Harry asked, as the others gathered around Hagrid, Malfoy leaning on the picket, keeping a good distance away from them, but keeping close enough to hear the conversation.  
  
"Yes, Harry." Hagrid said, looking down at them.  
  
"But, you can't pair her up with him! She's new, pair me up with him." Harry said. "I'm willing."  
  
"Naw Harry, with you two working on it, that Jarvey would be dead before you two stop fighting. And I don't want any fists thrown in this class." Hagrid said. "And besides," Hagrid said, smiling at Jesabelle. "I wanted to see how a Gryffindor and a Slytherin would work together. This is final."  
  
Jesabelle sighed and walked into the picket, where Malfoy had already chosen a Jarvey at the way back of the class.  
  
There you goooo! I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a bit of a while, but my internet was down, so I couldn't post this up. I hope you all like it! ^_^ 


	5. Welcome to Hogwarts Part Two

Hihi! Well, here's the next chapter, please read and review!  
  
I finally remembered to put another one of these author's notes at the bottom of the last chapter. I'm so proud of myself! Hehehe.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does. Please don't sue me! I only own my original characters and my plot.  
  
Chapter 5: Welcome to Hogwarts (Part Two)  
  
The others were already trying to manage their Jarveys, but with little luck, they all seemed to be having trouble with the part of the Jarvey that could talk.  
  
'Well, we had better get to work" Jesabelle said, not looking at him, and trying her best to stay patient with him.  
  
"What do you mean WE. Us Malfoys do not work, especially with Gryffindors." Malfoy said coldly.  
  
"Well, then you can fail. Remember, Hagrid grades the way we coexist, and the way we work to-ge-ther." Jesabelle said, dragging the word together. "And I don't think your dear old daddy Lucius would like it, even though he's still in Azkaban."  
  
"Don't you dare speak about my father in such a tone." Malfoy said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Then let's get to work." Jesabelle said.  
  
"I told you, us Malfoys don't-" Malfoy said.  
  
"Work. Yes, yes I know, but if you want to fail then you can just stand around and do nothing." Jesabelle said, waving him off with her hand and crouching down to look at the Jarvey, but keeping a few inches away from its beak.  
  
"Stay away vermin!" the Jarvey said, turning to Jesabelle, causing her to fall over on her butt, making Malfoy laugh.  
  
"This is very entertaining." Malfoy said, smirking.  
  
"Oh, shut up, you git." Jesabelle said, getting up, and dusting off her robes.  
  
"Oh, ouch that hurt Potter." Malfoy said sarcastically, clutching his heart, as if he was going to die, and then laughing at the exasperated look on Jesabelle's face.  
  
"Humph." Jesabelle said, getting a rat from one of the nearby boxes and holding it above the Jarvey.  
  
The Jarvey immediately noticed the bribery and trying instead to peck at Jesabelle's robes.  
  
"Hey!" Jesabelle said, backing away from the Jarvey, dropping the rat.  
  
Malfoy quickly picked up the rat and stood by Jesabelle as she got up saying, "You shouldn't stand so close to it."  
  
"Well, then, I'd like to see you work your 'magic' Malfoy." Jesabelle said, agitated.  
  
Malfoy walked to the Jarvey, keeping a few feet away from it's beak, Jesabelle close behind him.  
  
"Now listen you," Malfoy began holding up the rat, "you are going to have to behave in order to be fed."  
  
"Prat! Give me the food you useless piece of-" the Jarvey said.  
  
"Hey! Watch it! Shut you stupid piece of-" Malfoy began.  
  
"Malfoy, watch your tongue." Jesabelle said, as the bell rang, signaling the end of classes.  
  
Jesabelle sighed and walked down to Harry and the others as Malfoy threw the rat into one of the boxes, sticking his tongue out to the Jarvey.  
  
The rest proceeded to potions.  
  
"How was it?" Jesabelle asked the others.  
  
"Our Jarvey isn't so bad, when you've mastered the binding spell." Harry said grinning.  
  
"So, what about you?" Hermione asked Jesabelle.  
  
"In one word? Hell." Jesabelle said.  
  
"That bad huh?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Yup, and to think I'm stuck with him for most of the year. ARGH!" Jesabelle screamed, still dusting off her robes. "I certainly have my work cut out for me."  
  
The rest nodded in agreement and headed to potions.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They all waited outside the dungeon door, waiting for Snape to call them in. Everyone was deep in conversation.  
  
"What do you think Snape has in store for us this time?" Ron said, looking uncertainly at the dungeon door.  
  
"I bet you it's something only Hermione and a few other people would be able to do." Ginny said, nudging her head to Hermione.  
  
They laughed uneasily. Harry turned to Jesabelle, who was standing about a foot away by herself, her school bag on the floor. She was clutching her right arm, squeezing it as if it hurt, her expression tired.  
  
"You okay Jesabelle?" Harry asked, as the others turned to her.  
  
"Oh, nothing, my arm just hurts a bit that's all, nothing to worry about." Jesabelle said, reassuringly as Snape opened the door and barked at them to get inside.  
  
Harry and the others sat down at a table as far away from Snape as possible, but close enough to know what's going, but not in the range of Snape's insults.  
  
When the class began sitting down and taking out their books and chattering, Snape glared around saying, "This year, you will be taking your N.E.W.T.s, and potions is one of the vital parts of the things you will need to apply for the job when we finally get rid of you lot this year".  
  
"Is he always like that?" Jesabelle asked, whispering to Harry, who was sitting to her right and Hermione to her left.  
  
Harry nodded as Snape reverted his gaze to Jesabelle. When he saw her, a grin crawled across his face as he made his way closer. He stopped just a few inches away from the table.  
  
"Well well well." Snape said, "If it isn't Potter's little cousin, the exchange student. Welcome to Hogwarts." Snape continued, locking eyes with Jesabelle.  
  
"Thank you Professor Snape." She said with as much malice, meeting his gaze. "Long time no see."  
  
Snape looked at her, then Harry saw Jesabelle's lips move quickly as if liping words to him. Snape's expression changed from malice to disgust and he returned to the front of the class, explaining the potion they were supposed to brew, and pointing at the chalkboard, where all of the instructions were written.  
  
"You have an hour and ten minutes! Begin!" Snape said.  
  
For the next hour, everyone was struggling to make the potion. The potion was supposed to be purple, but people kept putting too much alligator eyes, and they either turned out red, or even blue.  
  
Jesabelle concentrated as she added the last ingredient, which was a drop of vampire's blood. She got a drop into the potion, when Gabriel Parker, who was sitting behind her, threw a bag full of powder at her back, causing her to drop the whole vial of blood into the potion, turning it into the color of blood red, causing it to bubble furiously, melting the cauldron.  
  
Jesabelle looked around as the potion ran down the table. Snape ran over to the table and cleaned it up with his wand.  
  
"What happened here Potter?" Snape said.  
  
"Professor, I was adding the last ingredient into the potion, and then Gabriel threw this bag of burning powder at my back, causing me to drop the whole in the potion." Jesabelle said, getting and removing her robe, which had little holes in it.  
  
"I didn't do anything Professor." Gabriel said in a voice that sounded so fake that Jesabelle wanted to strangle her. "Obviously, she did it on purpose to frame me, for what reason I do not know." She continued trying her best to look innocent.  
  
"Liar!" Jesabelle screamed at Gabriel.  
  
"Now, there will be none of that." Snape said, smirking. "Let's see, fifty points from Gryffindor for accusation of another student, and for ruining your potion, you will receive no marks for it."  
  
"But I was nearly done Professor! I was just about to add the last ingredient! That's - That's not fair!" Jesabelle screamed at Snape.  
  
"And detention for defying a teacher. Hold your tongue Potter, or I will double it." Snape said, sweeping away as the bell rang, dismissing them. "Potter, come over here to my desk and we will discuss your detention."  
  
Jesabelle packed her things, throwing her robe inside with disgust.  
  
"We'll wait for you outside." Harry whispered to her.  
  
She nodded gratefully, picked up her bag and walked to Snape's desk.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The others waited for her outside, wondering what kind of madness, Snape had planned for her. A few minutes, Jesabelle came out with a disgusted look on her face.  
  
"So what do you have to do?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know yet, Snape just told me to go to the back of the castle tonight at six, and then he will tell me what I have to do." Jesabelle said, a tired expression crawling across her face again.  
  
"Well, you want us to come with you?" Harry asked, concerned.  
  
"No, its okay Harry, thanks." Jesabelle said.  
  
They dropped off their bags at the Gryffindor Tower, and Jesabelle tried to finish most of her homework before heading down to the Great Hall for dinner at 5:30. Before she headed down to dinner, she had finished everything except for the Care of Magical Creatures assignment, which required you to write about the Jarveys and how much you had learned about them in the day's lesson.  
  
At six o'clock, she walked to the back of the castle to find an outdoor greenhouse, which had no roof. It looked well-kept, except that there were gnomes everywhere.  
  
"Right on time Potter." Snape said from behind her, making her jump. "Now, for your detention, you will have to de-gnome the southern part of this greenhouse, which is where we are standing." Snape said. "Malfoy will be monitoring your detention." Snape continued, as Malfoy came out from a door and sat on a chair nearby. "If I hear about any further discretions from Malfoy, you will repeat your detention." And with that, he left through the door Malfoy came in from and closed it behind him, leaving her with Malfoy.  
  
"Might as well get this over with. To think, my second day at Hogwarts, and I already have detention. I'm gonna get Gabriel for this, somehow." Jesabelle thought.  
  
She sighed and picked up one of the nearby gnomes and twirled it around her head, after about five turns, she let it go, watching it fly countless feet away.  
  
It was slow work. The gnomes either tried to run away, or bit her while she was twirling them around her head. Of course, she didn't scream in pain or anything, she didn't want to show Malfoy any sign of weakness.  
  
Finally, at midnight, she threw the last gnome out of the garden, and dizzily made her way to the door leading back to the castle.  
  
She felt very tired, her hands were full of blood from the many gnome bites on it, and she felt weak. She took out a handkerchief from one of her pockets and wrapped it around her right hand.  
  
After that, she took out a vial, about four inches tall and one inch wide with clear liquid inside and drank the whole thing. She put the vial back in her pocket and slowly made her way to the door leading back to castle, stumbling a bit from dizziness and sleepiness.  
  
"Done?" Malfoy asked in a bored tone, closing a book he was reading.  
  
"Yes, I am Malfoy." Jesabelle said, she was too tired to throw in any sarcastic comment.  
  
"Finally, I was wondering if you were ever going to finish." Malfoy said.  
  
"Hey, I didn't ask you to come and oversee my detention." Jesabelle said, leaning against a wall, nursing your hands.  
  
Malfoy walked over and saw the blood on her hands saying, "Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Here, sit down, and I'll help you clean that." Malfoy said.  
  
Jesabelle didn't know why she was doing it, but she let Malfoy lead her to another chair that was next to his. He made her sit down on it and he sat down on the other chair.  
  
He reached into his robes and pulled out a blue vial and some bandages. "Madame Pomfrey gave me these before i headed over here; she thought that you might need it in the end."  
  
Malfoy slowly removed the handkerchief from her hands and opened the vial, poring a drop of green liquid into the middle of her hand, and spreading it to the other bites, taking care to be very gentle. It burned a bit.  
  
"Ow." Jesabelle said, grimacing a bit.  
  
"Ow? That's all you have to say Jesabelle?" Malfoy asked, bandaging up her right hand, still being gentle.  
  
Jesabelle was taken aback by him calling her by her first but recovered by saying, "What am I supposed to say, Draco?"  
  
"Most girls would complain that it burns and all that. Most girls can't hack it when they have to have stuff like this put on bites or wounds." Malfoy said.  
  
"Well, I have had worse injuries and felt more that innocent little burn. Therefore, I'm not like most girls Draco." Jesabelle said, nicely.  
  
"Just make sure that you don't remove the bandages until two days from now." Malfoy said politely.  
  
"All right." Jesabelle said.  
  
They continued in silence. When Draco had bandaged up her left hand, he held her hands in his and looked at them, stroking it the tops of them with his thumbs. They were both surprised at this and suddenly pulled their hands away when Snape came out to check on them.  
  
"Done. I see, very good, you may leave." Snape said, leaving.  
  
Jesabelle whispered thanks to Malfoy and hurried upstairs to the Gryffindor common room, which was deserted. She went upstairs to her dormitory, took a bunch of her books down to the common room and finished her homework, the thought of Malfoy stroking her hands the way he did still lingering on her mind.  
  
Hey wow! They feel the connection. Anyways, yeah I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for Chapter Six! ^_^ 


	6. Brother to Sister Relations

Heylo! Well, here's Chapter Six!  
  
Note: The little texts between these two things ~" "~ are their minds responding to their mental questions to themselves. It can also represent the opposite opinion of their minds.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not any of the Harry Potter characters only my own characters and my plot.  
  
Chapter 6: Brother-Sister Relations  
  
"Jesabelle wake up, it's morning."" Harry said, shaking her lightly.  
  
Jesabelle woke up to find Harry shaking her awake and Ron standing behind him, looking worried.  
  
"Oh, I must have dozed off. What time is it?" Jesabelle asked, picking her head up from a book about magical creatures and stretching.  
  
"Breakfast is almost over." Ron said.  
  
"Oh really? Well then I will just have to miss it then." Jesabelle said, fixing her pieces of parchment and writing the last few words of her report on the Jarveys.  
  
Harry watched her, and then noticed the bandages on her hands as she continued to write on her parchment.  
  
"Jesabelle, what happened to your hands?" Harry asked, picking up her left hand.  
  
"Oh it's nothing." Jesabelle said, pulling her hand gently away.  
  
"It doesn't look like nothing." Harry said, giving her a serious look.  
  
"What did you do in detention last night?" Ron asked, sitting in an armchair across from her.  
  
"I had to de-gnome an outdoor greenhouse behind the castle. It took a while. I only came back at midnight." Jesabelle said, putting things in her school bag.  
  
"Who oversaw your detention?" Harry asked, standing next to her armchair, his arms crossed.  
  
"Malfoy." Jesabelle said.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"Malfoy. Don't worry Harry he didn't do anything. These bandages are just fixing up the bites from the gnomes, the little devils. Malfoy just fixed it up for me." Jesabelle said, standing up and smoothing out her hair.  
  
"Okay, this is getting weirder as the days pass. Why was he overseeing your detention last night?" Ron asked.  
  
"Because Snape told him to, I don't know. We're going to be late for class, come on you two." Jesabelle said, going up to the Gryffindor tower to fix herself. She came down ten minutes later with a new uniform on and her hair in a braid with a black hair tie holding together.  
  
They left the common room together and headed to class.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Classes went by in a blur, and soon, it was dinner time. All throughout the day, Jesabelle kept questioning herself about what had happened the night before with Malfoy.  
  
"He was so gentle with me. And Ron's right, why did he oversee MY detention last night, when there were lots of other prefects to oversee it, I mean, they could have just asked Pansy Parkinson to oversee my detention." Jesabelle thought as she ate some roast beef.  
  
~Don't think about it that way. Remember what Harry and the others said? He's the type of person that is not to be trusted. Maybe he's just using you to get to Harry or something.~  
  
"But it's like I felt something that night."  
  
~Well, don't let yourself fall for it again. You know what happened last time.~  
  
"What about the times he was nice to me?"  
  
"Jesabelle, are you all right?" Hermione said, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You've been stabbing at your beef for the past fifteen minutes." Ron said.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about stuff." Jesabelle said. "Then it's settled, it was nothing. Just pure coincidence. Malfoy oversaw my detention probably because there was no one else available. Malfoy was only nice and polite to me because I was new, even though I was Harry's cousin. Malfoy only helped me out with my bandages because he probably would have gotten in trouble if the others saw what happened to my hands. It was nothing. There was nothing that night." Jesabelle thought.  
  
~That's right, there is nothing going on.~  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Malfoy looked at Jesabelle from the Slytherin table, chewing thoughtfully at a biscuit. She seemed deep in thought.  
  
"She looks cute from over here." Malfoy thought as he watched her.  
  
~Oh hell, don't think about that.~  
  
"You're right."  
  
~Remember, she's Potter's cousin.~  
  
"Yeah."  
  
~And he would mace you if you even came within ten feet of her.~  
  
"That's if he sees me."  
  
~What would your father say?~  
  
"My father is in Azkaban, he no longer controls me or my life. I can be who I want to be now, without his interference."  
  
~Even if you show your true colors, how do you think people would react? You heard what Potter (Harry, not Jesabelle) said on the train. He thinks that because you were nice to Jesabelle, you are up to something.~  
  
"But I'm not."  
  
~That's what you think, but they think so.~  
  
"She seems like a really good person. Like I'm trying to be."  
  
~You git. People wouldn't accept you if you tried to change. You have showed them six years of hatred and malice. Do you think changing now can make up for that?~  
  
"You're right. No, I'm going to listen to you. You sound exactly like my father."  
  
~Even if you tried to get Jesabelle, do you think she would even feel the same way back? I mean, you have only known her for a few days. Why are you feeling this way?~  
  
"She's different. I felt something when I saw her. It's like I've met her before, I just can't place her. She's awesome."  
  
~Well, don't get your hopes up, remember, Harry would mace you if you found about something like this.~  
  
"Then I'll just have to be discreet."  
  
~Oh bloody hell, do what you want, just be careful.~  
  
"Right."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle was so confused. She couldn't decide on a conclusion. She looked over to the Slytherin table and caught Malfoy watching her. Their eyes locked for a second and then Malfoy pulled away, looking at his food. Jesabelle couldn't tell whether he was blushing or if it was a trick of the light.  
  
But what she didn't know was that Harry was watching her and he saw everything, and he didn't like it.  
  
Jesabelle then clutched her right arm and grimaced. She hid it with a worried look. She stood up.  
  
"Jesabelle where are you going?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I'm going to start on my homework." Jesabelle said, clutching her right arm, but making it look like some sort of pose.  
  
"All right. We'll see you later then." Ginny said smiling.  
  
Jesabelle smiled back and headed out of the Great Hall, stopping a few feet away from the doors, clutching her arm.  
  
"Oh darn, why now?" Jesabelle whispered through gritted teeth. A few seconds later, the pain went away.  
  
"Why if it isn't Miss Potter the de-gnomer." Came a voice.  
  
Jesabelle turned around to see Gabriel Parker, standing about three feet away, her look very smug. She walked a few steps and stopped just about a foot away.  
  
"Haven't you caused enough trouble Parker?" Jesabelle said, irritated.  
  
"Oh no, actually I'm just beginning. How was detention? Did it go well? Ha-ha, judging by your hands I'm guessing not."  
  
Jesabelle put her hands behind her back as Harry and the others came out of the Great Hall.  
  
"Oh keep off it Parker." Jesabelle said, glaring at her, as Harry and the others walked to her to see what the problem was.  
  
"Uh, uh, uh." Parker said, waving her index finger a few inches away from Jesabelle's face as Harry appeared next to her. "Watch your temper Potter; I still know your secrets."  
  
"What's going on? What's she talking about?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know." Jesabelle said in a would be calm voice.  
  
Parker looked into Jesabelle's eyes and laughed as she noticed the panic within them.  
  
"As a prefect, I must tell you to back off Parker, don't make me report you." Ginny said, standing on Jesabelle's other side.  
  
"Oh don't be so cocky Weasley." Parker said, revealing a Prefect badge from the pocket of her robes.  
  
"You're a Prefect?!" Jesabelle said, gawking at the badge in her hand.  
  
"Yes, I am, Potter, so I can do what I want." Parker said. "Besides I'm not finished. It must be some stroke of bad luck for you Potters huh? I mean you both lost your parents, you both lost people you loved. Ha-ha. You two had better watch out, you both might be next." Parker said.  
  
"We're not afraid." Jesabelle said.  
  
"I wonder how your mother would respond to that." Parker said. "Pity she's dead."  
  
Jesabelle was about to get her, but Harry held her back.  
  
"Don't you DARE speak about my mother." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Why? I mean I heard from my mother that she was the worst auror the ministry could have. My mum works at the ministry too you know." Parker said.  
  
"Your mum only works at the Ministry because they want to keep an eye on her. Your mum is too stupid to work at the ministry." Jesabelle said, still struggling to get free from Harry's grip.  
  
"Watch you say about my mother." Parker said coldly, her eyes narrowed.  
  
"Then watch you say about mine." Jesabelle said, as Hermione came out of the Great Hall.  
  
When she finally reached them, she looked from Jesabelle to Parker and immediately realized the situation.  
  
"Parker, although you were chosen to be a prefect, you are not to use it to bully other students. Is that understood?" Hermione said.  
  
"And you are?" Parker said.  
  
"Head Girl." Hermione said, pointing to her badge. "Go to bed Parker."  
  
Parker grinned and turned around saying, "Bye-bye Potter the de-gnomer."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The other were sitting around in the common room, trying to finish a difficult essay assigned by Snape that same day.  
  
"What's with you and Parker?" Harry asked.  
  
"It's the same story as you and Malfoy, Harry." Jesabelle said, concentrating on the diagrams in her Charms book. "We've been enemies ever since we met."  
  
"I see." Ron said, looking up from his work thoughtfully. He looked from Harry to Jesabelle, then Harry again, then at Jesabelle. Harry and Jesabelle stared at him in bewilderment. Then suddenly, Ron started to laugh.  
  
"What is it Ron?" Ginny asked, giving her brother a weird look. "Thinking about the time Malfoy became a ferret again?"  
  
"No, ha, no." Ron said calming himself down. "I just realized something."  
  
"What?" Ginny asked, as Hermione gave took a turn in giving Ron a weird look.  
  
"Don't you see how this is going?" Ron said. When he noticed the confused look on the other's faces, he continued. "I mean, Jesabelle is like Harry's female form, and Parker is like Malfoy's. I was just laughing because Jesabelle and Harry are alike in lots of ways. Jesabelle, you're like Harry's twin sister, except for the looks, I mean, you guys are twins personality wise."  
  
"Why is that so funny? I think it's cool that you think Jesabelle and I are like brother and sister." Harry asked, as Jesabelle struggled not to laugh at how stupid Ron looked.  
  
"I don't know. I just found it entertaining." Ron said.  
  
The other rolled their eyes and continued working.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The others had gone to bed at about midnight. Jesabelle and Harry were the only ones left in the common room. Harry was finishing up his essay and Jesabelle wanted to keep him company. Jesabelle had finished her Charms diagrams when she realized that Harry was asleep in his armchair, snoring softly.  
  
Jesabelle smiled and fixed the pieces of parchment that littered the table. When she finished, she heard Harry mumbling in his sleep, and turning his head this way and that.  
  
"Sirius..no, Sirius, you can't be dead. Let me go! He's not dead." Harry said.  
  
Harry began to twitch violently, and Jesabelle panicked, standing up and standing in front of Harry, shaking him.  
  
"SIRIUS!" Harry said.  
  
"Harry, Harry wake up! It's a nightmare!" Jesabelle said gently.  
  
Harry jerked awake and looked around, cold sweat and tears across his face.  
  
"What? Sirius?" Harry whispered.  
  
"It's okay Harry; it was just a dream, a nightmare." Jesabelle said, taking Harry's head and pulling to her chest, hugging him, trying to calm him down. Harry wrapped his arms around Jesabelle waist and began to slow his breathing.  
  
When he was better, Jesabelle let go. She pulled an armchair to her and sat in front of him, wiping his sweat with her handkerchief.  
  
Harry began to cry, hiding his face in his hands groaning.  
  
"It's okay Harry; it's about Sirius, isn't it?' Jesabelle asked. Hermione and Ron explained what had happened in their fifth year on the train ride to Hogwarts, so she already knew what was wrong.  
  
"It's all my fault." Harry said, his voice shaking.  
  
"No it isn't." Jesabelle said soothingly.  
  
"How would you know?" Harry asked, pulling his face out of his hands and walking to the fireplace and putting his right hand on the top, sticking his arm out to support his body.  
  
Jesabelle stood up and walked to his side, looking at him. "Because I lost loved ones too."  
  
Harry looked at her and into her eyes, and he knew she understood. "I'm sorry, I forgot." Harry said.  
  
"It's all right, it can happen." Jesabelle said.  
  
"What were your parents like?" Harry asked, sitting in an armchair. Jesabelle sat down in the one in front of him.  
  
"Well, my mum was an auror and double agent for the Ministry of Magic. She was able to get into Voldemort's inner circle." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Wow." Harry said.  
  
"Yeah, she was one of the best, after Moody of course. Then, they found her out." She continued. "When they did, we had to run. It was difficult for them to find her because she had used a different name, like some sort of screen name, so if something like that would happen, the time the Death Eaters would take to find out her real name, would be the time we took to run. I think she used the name Adelaide Stone"  
  
"What about your dad?" Harry asked.  
  
Jesabelle looked down, her expression sad and disappointed.  
  
"Oh, uh." Harry said.  
  
"It's okay Harry. My father was a death eater." Jesabelle said.  
  
"A death eater?!" Harry asked, surprised.  
  
"Yeah, they had some sort of affair; I think he used the imperious curse on her, to make her do whatever he wanted. And I was the outcome." Jesabelle said, sniffling.  
  
"What happened to him?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know, for all I know he could be dead." Jesabelle said, looking up at him. "When I was eleven, a death eater broke into my home. My mother could somehow sense he was coming, so she put me in some sort of shed, and told me to hide there." She continued, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.  
  
"I could still remember the death eater, calling her a traitor and that she didn't deserve to live or something like that, calling her foul names. Then, he killed her." Jesabelle said, her tears sliding down her face. "I never found out who the killer was, but when I do find out, I am going to kill him."  
  
Harry smiled and wiped away her tears. "I used to feel the same way. When Lestrange killed Sirius I wanted to kill her too, but revenge will only bring you down and make you feel guilty. You helped me realize that now."  
  
"Really?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Yeah. Listen, we can help each other get through this. Ron's right, we do have a lot in common. We are like brother and sister. So from now on, we're not cousins, we're siblings, and we'll take care of each other that way. I'm older, so, I'm the big brother, and you're the little sister." Harry said.  
  
"Okay, it feels good to have a sibling." Jesabelle said. "Us being only children."  
  
"Yeah, it does." Harry said, hugging Jesabelle.  
  
Okay, yeah I know, you're wondering when Quidditch will be. Trust me, it will come in chapter 8, but chapter 7 will bring more surprises. So yeah, sorry for the delay and everything. Stupid internet! Please read and review. Thank you (that rhymed.) ^_~ 


	7. Blake Marshall

Hehehehe. I' on a roll right now. I have everything planned. I mean all the chapters and events are ready. Now I just have to type them -_-; *sigh*. I hope all goes well.  
  
Anyways.hhheeerrreee wwwweee ggooooo!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the characters. just own my own characters and my own plot. Don't hurt me!  
  
Chapter 7: Blake Marshall  
  
The next two weeks went by quickly, Harry and Jesabelle growing closer and closer together as each day passed. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna knew that things were better, for Jesabelle made Harry happier than he had been in a while.  
  
The first Hogsmeade weekend came on the weekend of the second week of school.  
  
Hermione was beside herself with S.P.E.W. When they headed to Hogsmeade on Saturday, she brought a whole box of S.P.E.W. badges, posters, and her collecting tin.  
  
"Stop the slavery of house-elves. Fight for their rights! Join the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare." Hermione said, standing in front of the Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Hermione, please, not today, we want to enjoy our first Hogsmeade weekend." Luna said.  
  
"Fine, fine, we'll do our shopping and all that, and then we will do our promotion of S.P.E.W." Hermione said, carrying her box and following the others.  
  
They decided to visit Fred and George's joke shop. Business was booming and Fred and George were in town to manage the store in the village.  
  
They walked inside to find the usual things, Canary Creams, and such. They headed to the register where they found George busying himself with s piece of parchment.  
  
"Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and Ginny dear! Marvelous to see you!" Fred said, coming from a room behind the counter.  
  
"You sound like Percy when you say that." Hermione said, grinning.  
  
"Hey, threatening to tell our mum about our business two years ago was one thing, but comparing me to that git Percy is another." Fred said, laughing.  
  
"Great to see business to booming." Ginny said, looking around.  
  
Jesabelle examined the joke stuff and looked around, obviously interested. She picked up what looked like a wand and it turned into a plastic toad with a pop. Jesabelle began to laugh at it.  
  
"Ah yes, the fake wands, very popular around here." George said, going over to Jesabelle and explaining it to her.  
  
"Oh yeah, Fred, George, this is my cousin, Jesabelle." Harry said, looking at Jesabelle, who was getting along with George.  
  
"Oh cool, your cousin. Great to meet you Jesabelle." George said, shaking her hand.  
  
"These are my twin brothers, Fred and George; they're the owners of this shop." Ron said.  
  
"Okay which is which again?" Jesabelle said, looking pleasantly confused.  
  
"I'm George." George said, still shaking her hand.  
  
"So that means that the other one over there is Fred." Jesabelle said, looking at Fred, who smiled at her.  
  
"Yup." George said, letting go of her hand.  
  
"Let's buy something Harry." Jesabelle said. "This stuff is so cool."  
  
"I don't think-"Hermione said.  
  
"Oh come on Hermione, can't you see she's enthusiastic about our work." Fred said, walking over to her.  
  
"You wanna give your good old brother and sister a discount?" Ron said.  
  
"Hmmmm, no." George said, laughing.  
  
"Hey!" Ron said.  
  
"Oh we're just joking. Sure." George said.  
  
Twenty minutes later, they walked out of the shop with lots of joke stuff.  
  
"I think I should tell my dad to put in an add in his magazine about this shop." Luna said.  
  
"Yeah, you could promote their business." Ginny said.  
  
"They're stuff is pretty cool, when they're not tested on you." Neville said laughing. Neville was now a great deal better looking. He was skinnier, and he was beginning to have a better memory now, plus he was a lot keener on taking risks these days.  
  
Luna looked the same except that she became more feminine looking, and her personality was a lot less, as one would say, weird.  
  
They headed into the Three Broomsticks and had some butterbeers, talking happily about Quidditch and other things.  
  
They went back to Honeydukes, and Jesabelle was amazed at all the candy, buying as much chocolate as she could afford.  
  
Nearing the end of their visit, Hermione began her promotion for S.P.E.W. yet again. Surprisingly, people actually joined in and bought badges, agreeing with Hermione's motives and interested in the meetings and when they were to take place.  
  
They were about to head out when Malfoy and his usual gang of Slytherins came by.  
  
"Check it out, it's Potter the de-gnomer." Parker said, laughing with the rest of the Slytherins.  
  
"Hey Potter, no not you, the other one, watch out, the Jarveys might get you!" Malfoy said with a smirk.  
  
Jesabelle glared at them.  
  
"Leave her alone." Harry said, standing in front of her.  
  
"Oh, what's wrong Jesabelle? Too weak? Have to have Harry fight your fights for you now?" Parker said, smiling evilly.  
  
"That's it!" Jesabelle said, taking out her wand and pointing it at Parker's face.  
  
Harry, the others, and the Slytherins took out their wands and pointed it at the others.  
  
"You can't jinx me." Parker said, sounding nervous.  
  
"Oh really? Go ahead, Parker, try me. You know what I can do." Jesabelle said, still pointing her wand at Parker's face, pleased to see Parker's scared expression.  
  
"Jesabelle stop, I don't think you want another detention." Hermione said as she saw Professor McGonagall come out of the Three Broomsticks.  
  
Jesabelle lowered her wand and the Slytherins lowered their wands, so did Harry and the others.  
  
The Slytherins walked away.  
  
"You think, you've won, but we'll see." Parker said and followed the others.  
  
"Come one, let's go to the castle. It's almost time for dinner." Neville said, glaring at the Slytherins.  
  
"Yes, let's." Luna said a look of disgust on her face as she watched Parker walk away.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dinner went on, though Jesabelle's good mood was spoiled when Parker threw her insults at the village.  
  
"Don't let her bother you." Harry said.  
  
"She's such a..argh." Jesabelle said, stabbing her carrots.  
  
Harry reached out and touched her hand.  
  
"She really hates you huh?" Neville asked.  
  
"She hates me like a fat kid would hate a diet." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Don't worry about it." Harry said reassuringly.  
  
"Yeah." Jesabelle said. "I'll try not to."  
  
At the end of dinner, Jesabelle and the others were walking up to Gryffindor Tower when Jesabelle's eyes widened and she hid behind Harry.  
  
"Oh my god. Harry hide me." Jesabelle said, clutching Harry's robes.  
  
"What is it?" Harry said.  
  
"Never mind just don't let that boy talking to Dumbledore see me. I'll explain later." Jesabelle said.  
  
Harry looked over to the boy talking to Dumbledore. He was about Harry's height, good built, average body. He had short brown hair and hazel eyes. Most of the girls passing by were eyeing him with great interest. Somehow, he reminded Harry of Oliver Wood, except a bit different in a sense.  
  
The Slytherins came out of the Great Hall, Malfoy and Gabriel Parker leading the whole entourage.  
  
The boy talking to Dumbledore finished the conversation and looked around.  
  
Parker immediately realized who he was and ran over to him saying, "Blake!"  
  
The boy called Blake turned to Parker saying, "Gabriel, good to see you. Have you seen Jesabelle?"  
  
"Oh who cares?" Gabriel said, as Harry inched his way aside, trying not to be noticed.  
  
"I do." Blake said sternly, causing Parker to scowl.  
  
Justin Flin-Fletchey walked by just at that moment saying, "Hey Harry, Hello Jesabelle."  
  
Harry heard Jesabelle swear under her breath as Blake looked in their direction.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Blake said, walking over, causing Harry and the others to stop.  
  
"Blake! Wonderful to see you." Jesabelle said, popping up from behind Harry's back.  
  
Blake walked over, followed closely by Gabriel, to Jesabelle, pulled her into her arms, and twirling her around, pulling her back into a hug. Jesabelle's face was facing the others and she had the look of complete torture on it.  
  
When he finally let her go, he was about to kiss her, but she put her hand in front of his face, and pulled herself away from his grip.  
  
"Hey." Blake said.  
  
'Hey what? What are you doing here Blake?" Jesabelle said, eyeing him suspiciously.  
  
"The old school closed down." Blake said. "My mum and dad thought it would be better here."  
  
"Right." Jesabelle said, crossing her arms.  
  
Harry came over and put his arm around Jesabelle's shoulders, causing Blake to eye him suspiciously.  
  
"Harry Potter." Harry said, sticking out his hand. "I'm Jesabelle's cousin."  
  
"Oh, yes, the famous Harry Potter. Nice to meet you." Blake said shaking Harry's hand. "I'm Blake Marshall."  
  
"That's Hermione, Ron, his sister Ginny, Neville, and Luna." Harry said, turning to the others.  
  
He  
They all shook hands, but when it came to Hermione, eh kissed the top of her hand lightly, causing Ron to go red saying, "Hey watch it pal. She's my girlfriend."  
  
"So what house are you in?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Ravenclaw." Blake said.  
  
"Well, Blake had better be getting back to his common room; he doesn't need to be bombarded by questions by you guys?" Gabriel said, pulling Blake away angrily.  
  
"I guess I'll see you around then." Blake said as he struggle against Parker's grip.  
  
"Bye-bye." Jesabelle said. "I hope not to see you around."  
  
When they came back to the common room, they all looked at Jesabelle, confused.  
  
"Argh, first Parker, now Marshall!" Jesabelle said, sitting in an armchair.  
  
"Who was that guy?" Ron asked, still irritated and red from Blake's attempt to hit on Hermione.  
  
"He's kinda cute." Ginny said.  
  
"Don't say that, you don't want him as your boyfriend." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Who is he?" Harry asked, sitting in an armchair as well.  
  
"He's my ex-boyfriend, from last year. I hate him." Jesabelle said, her hands closing into fists.  
  
"What did he do to you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"He cheated on me." Jesabelle said.  
  
"With who?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Parker." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Well, what's he doing here?" Harry asked.  
  
"He's a petty liar. He could never lie to me without my knowing. His old school didn't close down. Someone must have told him I was here. So he probably came to apologize, and to try and win me back." Jesabelle said angrily.  
  
"Forget my saying he was cute." Ginny said.  
  
"You can say and think whatever you want, just stay away from him." Jesabelle said.  
  
"You're like a magnet. First Parker comes and then now this guy comes? What did you do to these people?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I didn't do anything to THEM. THEY are the ones who did something to ME." Jesabelle said.  
  
"You want us to corner him and tell him off?" Harry asked, as Ron and Neville nodded.  
  
"Oh no, I want to play with his emotions for a while." Jesabelle said.  
  
"All right, just don't get yourself into trouble." Harry said, lovingly ruffling her hair.  
  
"Hey!" Jesabelle said, fixing her hair, as the others laughed at how cute the two cousins looked.  
  
End of Chapter 7! Quidditch stuff coming up soon! ^_^ 


	8. Quidditch Tryouts

Okay everybody, Quidditch stuff! Woohooo!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, the plot, or the characters involved. I only own my own plot, and my original characters.  
  
Chapter Eight: Quidditch Tryouts  
  
A few days later, on Thursday, a piece of parchment was posted up in the Gryffindor common room. Jesabelle walked in to see a bunch of people surrounding the parchment.  
  
She made her way to the front of the crowd where she read:  
  
Gryffindor Quidditch Team Tryouts When: The 20th of September, Saturday Where: Quidditch Pitch Positions: 3 Chasers, 2 Beaters Time: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.  
  
"Quidditch Tryouts!" Harry said, coming down the stairs from the boys' dormitories. "If you are interested in trying out for the positions that are in need filing, please be present on Saturday!"  
  
The next two days went by like any of the other days. Gabriel tried lots of times to hex Jesabelle, but Harry and the others always caught her before she had the chance. Malfoy was acting a bit weirdly, throwing fewer insults, only throwing them when they met in the hallways and such.  
  
Friday night, they were all sitting in the common room, eating some Honeydukes chocolate, and talking about the tryouts tomorrow.  
  
"What position are you going to tryout for?" Ron asked Ginny, who was sitting across from him.  
  
"I'm going to try going out for chaser, looks a bit difficult, but it seems like fun." Ginny said.  
  
"Which reminds me Ron," Hermione said. "have you been practicing?"  
  
"Of course, I'd be stupid not to!" Ron said.  
  
"Weasley is our King!" Neville said, making everyone laugh.  
  
"Good one Neville." Ginny said.  
  
"You know, Malfoy hasn't been throwing any insults at us lately." Neville said.  
  
"Aw, he's just afraid that Hermione will turn him into a ferret, and bounce him up and down like Moody did." Ron said. Everyone one laughed again at the memory of it, throwing Honeydukes candy wrappers at him.  
  
Harry was watching the others, talking with Jesabelle, who took out another one of her vials with clear liquid and drinking the whole thing.  
  
"Do you have to drink the whole thing?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah, it doesn't taste like anything. I like to consider it more like water." Jesabelle said, closing the vial and putting it back into her pocket.  
  
Harry was watching Ginny, who was laughing as Neville cracked another joke. Jesabelle watched him watching her.  
  
When Harry finally reverted his gaze back to Jesabelle, he found her grinning at him.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh nothing." Jesabelle said, smiling widely and looking back at the others. They were a good distance away from the others, so they could hear their conversation, but they couldn't hear theirs.  
  
Jesabelle caught Harry staring at Ginny again. She grinned saying casually, "That Ginny's something, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, she sure is." Harry said, slightly dazed. A few seconds later, he realized what he said and smugly replied quickly after, "Well, I mean you know, she's okay..and..yeah."  
  
"Right Harry." Jesabelle said, laughing silently.  
  
Harry looked at her, who was watching the others, still laughing silently.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"You like her." Jesabelle said.  
  
"What?!" Harry said.  
  
"It's so obvious Harry. You're crushing on Ginny, Ron's baby sister!" Jesabelle said slyly, still laughing a bit.  
  
"Okay, maybe I do." Harry said, giving up the fight.  
  
"Ha! Aw, this is so cute! I have to hook you guys up." Jesabelle said excitedly. "So, since when have these feelings been going on?"  
  
"I guess, since the end of my sixth year, but she's dating Dean." Harry said.  
  
"Wow, that's quite a while. Oh no, they broke up over the summer, Ginny herself told me that. So, what's your course of action?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"I don't know, I mean she is Ron's sister.." Harry said.  
  
"And he would probably get all overprotective and all that, even though you are his best friend." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Yup." Harry said.  
  
"Does anyone else know about this?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"You're the only one." Harry said.  
  
"Okay. Well, my advice for now is lay low, while I go and see if Ginny has anymore feelings for you. And I think it will be best to not tell Ron for now." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Aw, cool, thanks." Harry said.  
  
"Not a problem. Just make sure that if you do hook up with her, that you treat her right. She doesn't deserve to have her heart broken." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Of course, you know me." Harry said.  
  
"Yeah I know you, you're Harry Potter. And you know me. I'm Jesabelle Potter, your cousin." Jesabelle said.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that." Harry said.  
  
"I know, I was just joking, I know you'll treat her right." Jesabelle said.  
  
Harry laughed and pinched her cheek.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next day dawned bright and serene, not a cloud showing in the sky.  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna walked down to the Quidditch pitch to get ready for the tryouts at four o'clock.  
  
"Where's Jesabelle?" Ginny asked, as they sat in the locker room, waiting for five o'clock to turn the corner.  
  
"I don't know." Hermione said.  
  
"I think she said she was going to get her broom." Ron said, from behind the newest edition of Which Broomstick. Luna leaned over to him and read the text of the article he was reading.  
  
"Wow, the Firebolt Armageddon. That's the newest model right?" Luna asked.  
  
"Yeah, it just came out last summer." Ron said. "I'm gonna try and see if Fred and George could buy one for me and Ginny."  
  
"Yeah, I mean, they're business is doing great!" Ginny said. "They can afford it. Besides, it can make up for all the Christmases they spent sending me joke stuff, like I was an unwilling test subject."  
  
"Well, maybe they'll buy you that, I mean, they can be a little soft hearted when it comes to you, Ginny." Jesabelle said from the doorway.  
  
"Hi Jesabelle. What took you so long?" Harry said.  
  
"Sorry, I just had to get my broom." Jesabelle said.  
  
"See I told you." Ron said.  
  
"What kind of broom do you have?" Luna asked.  
  
Jesabelle pulled from behind her a broom that much resembled the firebolt, except a bit longer.  
  
"Wow!" Luna said.  
  
"A Firebolt Armageddon!" Neville said, standing up to look at it.  
  
"How did you get it?" Luna said, staring at it.  
  
"Oh, I bought it." Jesabelle said.  
  
"But how could you afford it?" Ron asked, appearing next to Neville, followed by Ginny, Harry, and Hermione.  
  
"I have my connections." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Can I try it?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Sure, the tryouts aren't for forty-five minutes. Give it a whirl." Jesabelle said, giving the broom to Ginny.  
  
"Thanks! This is so cool! You're the best Jesabelle!" Ginny said, handling the broom with care and running out to the pitch, followed by the others.  
  
"Actually, it's not so much different from the original Firebolt model." Jesabelle said to the others, imitating a businessman's tone. "It still has its own registration number, an unbreakable braking charm, and all the other stuff from the original. But what's different is that it has an acceleration of 190 miles per hour in ten seconds, it can withstand gusts of up to 80 miles per hour, it's waterproof, and," Jesabelle said, as her broom's tail lit up with fire, causing Ginny to head back down, "the tail literally fires up when the rider picks up speed."  
  
"Wow." Ron said, wide eyed, mouth hanging open slightly.  
  
"You sound like you're selling something." Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah, that's the effect I was aiming for." Jesabelle said. Hermione smiled and told Ron to close his mouth.  
  
At five o'clock, about fifteen Gryffindors showed up at the pitch to try out for the certain positions that needed filing.  
  
Harry and Ron flew up and around the pitch, the others following them. They settled back down to the ground and Harry started the try outs for beaters first, then the chasers. Nothing really went wrong or something during the try outs, unless you count that Seamus nearly knocked Ginny off her broom with the bludger, and Harry and Ron yelled at him for at least five minutes for being so careless.  
  
In the end, at six o'clock, Harry and Ron had already decided on who should be on the team.  
  
"Great flying up there Jesabelle. You fly a lot better than I thought." Harry said.  
  
"Oh thanks Harry, it's been a bit of a while since I've flown, but it feels good to be back in the air again." Jesabelle said, smiling and looking around. "Where did Ron and Hermione head off to?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"I think they already headed back to the castle." Harry said as he watched Ginny separate from her friends and head to the locker room, overhearing her telling them that she forgot a book there.  
  
Jesabelle noticed this as well and her eyes twinkled. "This is perfect." She said, startling Harry a bit.  
  
"What's perfect?" Harry asked.  
  
"The situation." Jesabelle said. When Harry gave her a confused look she continued, "You're crushing on Ginny, and you want to try to see if you can get closer to her without her expecting right?"  
  
"Right." Harry said.  
  
"Well, then this is the right time to make innocent conversation with her." Jesabelle said. "She forgot her book in the locker room right? Then pretend that you forgot something to."  
  
"Like what?" Harry asked.  
  
"Pretend that I told you to go and see if I forgot my diamond hard polish for my broom, or see if there was extra lying around." Jesabelle said. "That's if she asks you what you are doing there, if she doesn't ask, then make conversation with her."  
  
"What should I say?" Harry asked.  
  
"Anything." Jesabelle said.  
  
"So I can tell her what I am looking for?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh Harry stop being such a prat! Make intellectual conversation. You see how she was flying up there, comment her on that. Ask her who taught her how to fly or something. And if you can think about it, then crack a joke, and make her laugh, that way, she can realize that she can enjoy your company, and then she'll probably want to hang out with you more often." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Wow. Okay." Harry said.  
  
"Now go, you're wasting your time!" Jesabelle said.  
  
Ginny was about ten to fifteen feet away, and was nearing the locker rooms. Harry ran after her, looking back at Jesabelle, who had both thumbs up, and a grin splashed across her face. She mouthed the words "good luck" and headed back to the castle.  
  
Harry caught up to Ginny and started walking beside her saying smugly, "Hello Ginny."  
  
"Hey Harry." Ginny said happily as they walked across the pitch.  
  
There was an awkward silence for a moment, and then Harry said, "You did great up there, I never really realized how much of a good flier you are."  
  
"Oh, thanks." Ginny said laughing.  
  
Harry's stomach turned over as Ginny laughed. "Her laugh is so sweet." He thought. "She looks cute when she laughs."  
  
"Who taught you how to fly?" Harry asked, his uneasiness slowly leaving him.  
  
"Charlie tried to teach me when I was younger, but he had to leave for his job, so I had to teach myself, since Fred and George were too lazy to, Percy was always too busy maintaining his 'composure' and Ron never really wanted to help me out." Ginny said.  
  
"You're like the odd man out huh?" Harry asked, adding, "Or odd woman out."  
  
Ginny laughed again and said, "Yeah, you could say that, I mean, I was the only girl out of seven kids..so it got pretty lonely sometimes."  
  
"Yeah, it can get pretty lonely being an only child too." Harry said.  
  
There was silence for a few seconds, then Harry began to laugh. Ginny looked at him saying, "Harry, what's so funny?"  
  
"Oh nothing, I was just thinking about Percy trying to fly a broomstick." Harry said, grinning, looking back at her.  
  
Ginny began to laugh again. "That's one thing I would love to see someday." She said after calming down.  
  
The awkwardness lifted, and they were soon talking happily about what they would do once they got out of Hogwarts and the war was over.  
  
When they got to the locker room, Ginny looked around and a few seconds later, she found her book. "Did you forget something? I mean that's probably the reason why you're here." Ginny said.  
  
Harry thought a few seconds, but instead of saying what Jesabelle told him to say just in case she asked, he said, "Oh nothing, I didn't forget anything, I just wanted to give you some company." He smiled and saw Ginny go red and she turned around, rummaging to see if she left any other things behind.  
  
When her back was turned, Harry let out some breath, her presence to him was breathless, and he was trying regain breath when she turned around to him again, her cheeks slightly flushed.  
  
"So, shall we head off then?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Yeah." Harry said.  
  
Then they both heard shuffling noises coming from the locker room to their right.  
  
"Do you hear that?" Harry asked, looking around, his eyes alert.  
  
"Yeah." Ginny said.  
  
They both flicked out their wands at the same time, and slowly walked to the door leading to the locker room where to noises came from.  
  
Harry looked at Ginny, who nodded, and then Harry pushed open the door, and pointed his wand at the room, Ginny beside him.  
  
They saw Ron and Hermione, sitting on a bench, looking very flushed and slightly out of breath.  
  
Ginny and Harry stared at them while they stared back.  
  
"What's wrong with you two?" Ron asked, hastily fixing his hair, which was more ruffled than usual.  
  
"Sorry, we were being paranoid, thought you two were death eaters or something." Harry said, lowering his wand, Ginny following his lead.  
  
"Besides, what were you two doing here anyways?" Harry asked, knowing the answer to that question.  
  
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then again at Harry and Ginny, who were both wearing grins.  
  
"We were.uh." Hermione stammered, looking to Ron for support.  
  
"You two were snogging weren't you?" Ginny asked, trying her best not laugh.  
  
"No, we were, wait, uh.." Ron said, scratching his head.  
  
"Right. If you two weren't snogging, then I'm a white bouncing ferret." Harry said sarcastically, causing Ginny to laugh hysterically at looks on Ron and Hermione's faces.  
  
"We'll see you two at the tower. You don't have to come back right after we leave, I mean, we'll just let you two have your time alone." Harry said, closing the locker door behind him, causing Hermione to grow a shade redder.  
  
Muwahahah! -Evil laugh- Ron and Hermione were caught kissing...ehehhee, sorry, I find that amusing.anyways, yeah, there we go, stay tuned for the next chapter. I hope you liked this one.  
  
Please read and review! Thanks!  
  
The White Princess 


	9. A Cousin's Plot for Romance

Hey everybody! I'm sorry I haven't updated but I started school just this week and the homework sure kept me busy, plus I didn't get a chance to sneak up in here and try and complete this chapter.  
  
I know most of you are wondering when the real romantic stuff comes along, well I'm just taking things slowly, and I'm sorry if I pissed you off or something. Anyways, Ginny and Harry will start literally connecting in about...in about, oh yeah! In about three chapters, but that's because there's gonna be Quidditch!  
  
Okay, here's the chapter! ^_^  
  
Chapter 9: A Cousin's Plot For Romance  
  
Harry and Ginny walked up to the Gryffindor Tower, still laughing their heads off at the sight of Ron and Hermione growing more and more shades redder (if that was ever possible). They made their way up to the tower and roughly fell into separate armchairs, still trying to manage their laughter, seeing as that there were a lot of people giving them weird looks.  
  
When they had settled themselves down, they grew silent, suddenly realizing who the other was laughing with. Ginny began to turn red, but Harry was looking into the flames of the fire, trying his best not to look at Ginny.  
  
"Hey Harry, did you finish your Potions homework?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Nope, not yet, with the tryouts, I decided that I'd work on it tomorrow." Harry said, still looking at the flames, but concentrating on Ginny's voice.  
  
"Oh okay. Well, I was wondering...." Ginny began.  
  
"Wondering what?" Harry asked, looking into her eyes, causing both their hearts to skip a beat.  
  
"I was wondering if you would like to meet me at the library after lunch tomorrow and we can finish our homework together." Ginny said a bit shyly.  
  
"That sounds great, I mean Ron and Hermione were gonna spend another day together, Luna is busy, and Neville stinks at Potions, so either way, we're both gonna end up working together anyways." Harry said, "And besides, I like hanging out with you, you're fun to be around." He concluded, smiling widely at her.  
  
Ginny smiled back, but her heart skipped another beat at Harry's smile.  
  
"Okay then, great! Well I'd better head upstairs; I've got stuff to do." Ginny got up and made her way to the girls' dormitories and closed the door behind her, feeling her face, which was very hot, and fell into her bed thinking mostly about Harry.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next night, Harry laid down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, wearing a lopsided grin on his face, and feeling a bit dazed.  
  
Ginny and Harry met at the library as they planned and stayed there for the rest of the day, skipping dinner, and then heading up when Madame Pince chased them out of the library.  
  
They had a great time, discussing politics, and trying to find out ways to convince Hermione not to continue on with her S.P.E.W.  
  
One could say that their "study date" caused a lot of people to wonder what was going on, but Harry and Ginny didn't seem to notice, since they were both so absorbed in each other that they quite forgot about the others around them.  
  
But there was one incident though, where Harry and Ginny would lock eyes and then suddenly look away, feeling a bit embarrassed. And as each hour passed though, their bodies moved closer and closer together, that they could inhale each other's scent.  
  
Harry cherished every minute spent with Ginny, still thinking about her and seeing her in his dreams.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny Weasley lay in her bed thinking about their study date. Just the thought of it made her blush madly.  
  
She decided that she would think about things tomorrow and immediately fell asleep, dreaming about more study dates in the library.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~  
  
Monday morning came and most of the students were reluctant to get up, only getting up because they knew that they had to.  
  
Harry and the others read their schedules over.  
  
"Great! We finally get to see Tonks in action in this teaching thing." Neville said, reading to see that they all had double Defense Against the Dark Arts that day.  
  
Everyone anticipated the upcoming D.A.D.A. class, and when they finally reached the classroom, they walked in to find Tonks already sitting at her table, her legs on top of the desk, resting leisurely as she waited for the class to settle down.  
  
When everyone was seated, Tonks got up and walked over to the front of the class.  
  
"Welcome everyone, to seventh year Defense Against the Dark Arts." She began looking at all of them. "For this class today, you will not be needing your books, only your wands."  
  
The class looked around at each other and put their books away.  
  
"Now, I know most of you who were in 'Dumbledore's Army' as you called yourselves, already know all of the basic spells of defense and repelling spells, thanks to young Harry here." Tonks said, looking at Harry who was to her right. "There isn't really much I can teach you now that most of you know so much about what you were supposed to learn." She paused, then continued, "So what we learn for the lesson today will be to completely block and repel spells using just one spell, instead of separate ones."  
  
Everyone looked at each other, apparently wondering what exactly they were going to do for the class.  
  
"Now, the spell we will be using today is incantatem protego. Everyone please say it with me, so we can get the pronunciation right." Tonks said, looking around at the class.  
  
"Incantatem Protego." The class said in unison.  
  
"All right, good, now I need two volunteers to demonstrate for the class." Tonks said, looking around eagerly at the class.  
  
When no one raised their hands or got up, Tonks sighed.  
  
"Okay then," she began, "Ginny, Harry, you two will demonstrate for the class."  
  
Harry and Ginny stood up, blushing slightly and walked up to the front of the class. Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna gave them reassuring smiles.  
  
"Thank you very much you two, now Harry, stand to my right, and Ginny, you to my left." Tonks said, gesturing to the places they should stand.  
  
Harry and Ginny looked at each other then stood their positions, facing each other across the room.  
  
"All right, now, wands out. Ginny, you will hit Harry with any spell, as long as it won't knock him out, and you Harry, will be the one to block it." Tonks said, stepping behind the desk that in front of the class. "Remember, Incantatem Protego. Get ready." Tonks said, as Ginny and Harry fixed their posture and pointed their wands at each other. "When I say go, you will perform the spells, and please do try to be careful."  
  
Ginny and Harry nodded and lifted their wands.  
  
"Okay, 1, 2, 3, GO!" Tonks said.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Ginny yelled.  
  
"Incantatem Protego!" Harry yelled at the same time.  
  
A rush of wind swept the classroom as both spells were yelled at the same time. Suddenly, Harry and Ginny were thrown backwards and into the walls behind them. The whole class gasped and Ron and Hermione got up and ran to the two, trying to pull them up.  
  
Harry got up and swayed unsteadily, rubbing the back of his neck, Ron steadying him. Ginny got up as well and leaned against Hermione, rubbing her side.  
  
Tonks ran up to both of them and frantically checked if they had any broken bones.  
  
"Are you all right dears?!" Tonks said, panicking.  
  
"I think we'll live Professor." Harry said, sitting back down with the help of Ron. Ginny did the same, still rubbing her sides.  
  
"Ginny dear, are you all right?' Tonks asked, bending over to look at Ginny.  
  
"My ribs hurt a bit Professor." Ginny said, trying to hide the pain, but failing.  
  
"Oh I knew I shouldn't have used students for the example. Harry, I want you and Ginny to go to the hospital wing and see Madame Pomfrey about any possible injuries. I would fix them myself, if you have any, but I don't think I would want to risk another accident." Tonks said, helping Ginny up.  
  
"Okay then Professor." Harry said. "Come on Ginny."  
  
"Ginny followed Harry out the door, closing it behind him, the class watching them as they left.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny and Harry walked in silence to the Hospital Wing. Half way there, Ginny clutched her ribs harder and started swaying dangerously, stopping to lean on a wall, panting.  
  
"Are you all right Ginny?" Harry asked, looking at her.  
  
"I think I fractured my ribs, it's getting very difficult to breathe." Ginny said through ragged breaths.  
  
"Okay then, here, let me carry you the rest of the way." Harry offered.  
  
"No, I'm pretty heavy, I'll make it Harry, don't worry, thank you very much for the offer though." Ginny said with a smile, walking on ahead of him. She began to sway and nearly feel over, if Harry had not stuck his arms out to stop her fall just in time.  
  
"I think Tonks underestimated your injury." Harry said, pulling her up and carrying her in his arms.  
  
"I'm all right Harry, don't waste your energy." Ginny said, trying to get out of Harry's arms.  
  
"No Ginny, you can't walk as well on your own, you're getting ready to collapse." Harry said, keeping a firm grip on Ginny's body.  
  
"But what about your injuries?" Ginny asked, looking up at him.  
  
"Oh nothing life threatening, just an aching head. Nice choice of spell by the way. I would have used another type, like the jelly-legs charm, but otherwise, good choice." Harry said.  
  
Ginny laughed saying, "I wanted to give you a challenge."  
  
They smiled at each other and Harry began walking away, not noticing Jesabelle standing behind a nearby statue. She had seen the whole thing, and was smiling happily to herself.  
  
"Things are finally working well. I had better thank Tonks after class." Jesabelle thought as she walked back to Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry walked at a slow pace, so as not to make Ginny feel a bit dizzy. Harry looked down at her, seeing that her eyes were closed and that she had drifted to sleep.  
  
"She looks so innocent when she sleeps." Harry thought, looking down at her peaceful face.  
  
Ginny had been so content in Harry's arms, finally drifting off to sleep, wishing Harry would just keep holding her close forever.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny and Harry later returned ten minutes, fully healed, before the class was over. Apparently, they had not missed anything, for, in her frantic mood, Tonks had just decided that they review and practice all the spells they learned in the D.A. sessions.  
  
They were practicing the Patronus Charm when the bell rang, signaling the end of classes.  
  
The rest of them left, but waited outside the classroom, since Jesabelle said that she wanted to ask Tonks something.  
  
Jesabelle came out two minutes later, smiling, a twinkle in her eyes. Harry had a strange feeling that she was up to something concerning him and Ginny, but decided that he would ask her about that later that night.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and Jesabelle sat at one of the tables near the fireplace. Harry was sitting on the right side of a couch, finishing his Astronomy essay, and Jesabelle was sitting on his left, reading a book about vampire civil wars, thoughtfully sucking on a sugar quill as she read.  
  
A few minutes later, Harry sat up.  
  
"I finally finished the essay." Harry said, stretching and sitting back on the couch. "That took so long. It's already late."  
  
"That essay was assigned three days ago! See what happens when you procrastinate?" Jesabelle said, keeping her eyes on her book.  
  
"You sound exactly like Hermione." Harry said.  
  
"Is that bad?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Oh no. But you know what is bad?" Harry asked, turning to Jesabelle.  
  
"What is bad my dear cousin?" Jesabelle asked, still reading.  
  
"Seeing a twinkle in my cousin's eye after class, that's what's bad." Harry said.  
  
Jesabelle looked up from her book to find him giving her the "I know you are up to something" look.  
  
"What?" Jesabelle asked, giving him an innocent face.  
  
"I know you're up to something!" Harry said.  
  
"Oh really? Then what am I up to?" Jesabelle asked, grinning.  
  
"I don't know exactly what it is, but I know you're up to something. Something to bring me and Ginny closer together." Harry said, lowering his voice so no one could hear. There were only three other people in the common room, and they were sitting a good distance away, but he didn't want to risk anything.  
  
Jesabelle gave him an innocent look again, but when she saw his agitated expression, she stopped and put down her book saying, "Okay, so maybe I am up to something."  
  
"Bloody hell! See I told you!" Harry said.  
  
"So what if I am..it's nothing bad you know." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Wait, you set us up in D.A.D.A. today didn't you? You made a deal with Tonks! Ginny got hurt in the process." Harry said, his voice steadily rising.  
  
"That was a bit of the back fire, but hey, at least you got to hold her in your arms right." Jesabelle said, but putting a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so- wait." Harry said. "You were spying on us too?!"  
  
"I'm sorry Harry, but I wanted to make sure that everything was going well for the both of you." Jesabelle said, growing sad. "Please don't be angry, I just wanted you two to be together."  
  
Harry ran his fingers through his hair, looked at the expression on Jesabelle's face and sighed in retreat.  
  
"Sorry about that. But thanks." Harry said.  
  
"Quite all right mate, I would have reacted the same way if you were doing the same thing to me." Jesabelle said. "So anyways, how did it feel? Holding her in your arms like that?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
Harry smiled at her and said, "She looks innocent when she sleeps. She's......."  
  
"So wonderful that you can't even find the best words to describe her?" Jesabelle finished for him.  
  
"Yeah." Harry said dreamily.  
  
"Awwwww!" Jesabelle said, giving Harry a big goofy smile. "I think I'm gonna cry!" Jesabelle said, pretending to wipe a "tear" from her eye.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Harry said.  
  
"I'm just joking. That's great. Things are working well. Just keep your cool, and let me handle everything else." Jesabelle said, getting up. "I'd better head up, it's past midnight. Good night Harry."  
  
"Okay then, good night Jesabelle." Harry said, giving her a hug and watching her walk up the stairs.  
  
A few minutes later, Harry fixed his things and headed up as well. He changed his clothes and got into bed smiling. He was lucky to have a loving "sister" like Jesabelle.  
  
There! Whoo! Sorry it took so long! I'll be coming up with more don't worry! Please read and review! ^_~ Thanks! 


	10. Exploding Plants and Odd Behavior

Hihi! I'm back! Yeah, here's chapter 10. I hope you all enjoy it! Please read and review!  
  
Chapter 10: Exploding Plants and Odd Behavior  
  
Jesabelle walked down the stairs from the girls' dormitories and noticed a few people looking at a piece of parchment on the Gryffindor bulletin board. Jesabelle walked over to it and read:  
  
Gryffindor Quidditch Team.....Congratulations! Chasers: Jesabelle Potter, Ginny Weasley, and Ella Bell (A/N: Katie Bell's sister) Seeker: Harry Potter Keeper: Ron Weasley Beaters: Colin Creevy, Dennis Creevy  
  
"Oh great! I made the team!" Jesabelle said as she started grinning.  
  
"So, you've read the notice then?" Harry said from behind her.  
  
"Yeah. That sure made my day, thanks Harry." Jesabelle said, giving Harry a tight hug.  
  
~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the gang were walking down to greenhouse eight, where they were going to have double Herbology that day.  
  
"What do you think Sprout will be giving us today?" Harry asked the others.  
  
"I don't know. I heard that we have to take care of this really odd- looking plant." Neville said. "It might be exciting to see a new breed of plant today."  
  
"Oh dear." Jesabelle said from Harry's left.  
  
"What's wrong Jesabelle?" Harry asked, turning to his cousin.  
  
"Herbology has always been my worst subject." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Well, Neville is a whiz at Herbology. If you need any help, you could ask him." Luna said, giving Neville a smile.  
  
"Oh no Luna, I'm not that good, but if you do need any help Jesabelle, don't hesitate to ask." Neville said, smiling back at Luna.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They all piled into the greenhouse, standing behind one of the tables situated around the house, each with a pot and a cloth covering the top, placed every few inches away from each other.  
  
A few minutes later, Professor Sprout stepped into the greenhouse, greeting them a good morning.  
  
"Hello everyone! Now, today, for the double periods, we will be working on some very exotic plants. Do not touch them yet," Professor Sprout said, looking at Crabbe, who was about to take off the cloth to see what was beneath it. "I do not think you would like to see what is beneath that cloth just yet. Now class, I would like you all to slip on your gloves and divide into pairs. Once you are all finished pairing off, I would like you all to focus back here to me at the front."  
  
Everyone went abuzz with anticipation. It only too about a minute or two to get a partner. They all focused back to Professor Sprout, who also had a covered plant in front of her as well.  
  
"All right then, everybody has a partner? Good! Now, I would like one of your partners to lift up the sheet and throw it aside. Please be very gentle, we wouldn't want to wake them." Sprout said, smiling.  
  
"Wake THEM?" Ron asked, giving Harry, who was his partner (naturally) a worried look.  
  
"Oh Ron, it's not like there are going to be spiders under that cloth." Hermione said, grinning at Ron.  
  
Ron pouted and stepped back a bit as Harry made to pull the sheet off the mysterious plant.  
  
Everyone was silent as they watched each other lift the cloths. When Harry lifted it off, he was met with a most disturbing sight. Under the cloth lay a pot with soil in it, fertilizing a plant with a greenish- browning stem and black snakes sticking out of it, wiggling slightly and hissing softly at them, their red eyes looking around.  
  
Jesabelle did not like the looks of the plants and moved even farther away from the plant.  
  
"The Medusa-Veneseus Plant!" Sprout said, looking down at her own plant.  
  
Everyone looked at the plant. It was about a foot and a few inches tall, 1 ½ inches thick, and about an inch wide. The stem of course had the snakes sticking out of the stem every few inches apart, there were about three on each side of the stem, which had red one inch thorns sticking out of it as well.  
  
"Now, take a look at the black snakes connected to the stem." Sprout continued, gesturing to the snakes. "Be careful and do not touch them. Like regular snakes, they are extremely poisonous and if bitten, you may have a high fever. If that does not do you in, then it will proceed to give you monstrous boils. And if THAT does not stop you, your heart will just fail you and stop beating. And all this due to the very strong poisons possessed in these reptiles' mouths." Sprout said.  
  
Everyone backed a few inches more away from the plant. The snakes were already adjusting to the atmosphere and were starting to jump at them, hissing and spitting.  
  
"Can anyone tell me the uses for the snakes' bodies?" Sprout said.  
  
Neville and Hermione's hands both shot up at the same time.  
  
"Yes, Neville?" Sprout said, smiling at Neville.  
  
"It' juices may be used in healing potions that are used for healing eye injuries. The eyeballs are used for potions that deal with healing very bad bites from certain magical creatures. And its teeth may be ground to dust and used for other certain potions." Neville said.  
  
"Wonderful Neville! Twenty points to Gryffindor." Sprout said, causing the Slytherins to scowl greatly. "What are the ingredients used in the potion that would heal all the symptoms you may receive if bitten by a snake from this plant?" Sprout continued.  
  
Hermione's hand shot up again. Sprout nodded to her.  
  
"The ingredients needed are tear drops from a mandrake baby three months old, hippogriff feathers, and thestral blood." Hermione said with a smile.  
  
"Excellent! Another twenty points to Gryffindor." Sprout said enthusiastically.  
  
The Slytherins scowled even worse, as the rest of the class laughed silently, looking at them.  
  
"For this class, you and your partners will be working on gathering these snakes and setting them up for the potions Madame Pomfrey may need in the future." Sprout said, smiling slightly at Harry and the others, who looked at each other a bit uneasily. "There are two vials of sleeping potion in a box a few inches away from the pot containing the plant. Now, there you will also find some pieces of raw meat, two small knives, and some goblets of water." Sprout continued.  
  
The class eased a bit and walked over to the boxes and looked inside, to see what the items Professor Sprout was talking about, and to see if they were complete.  
  
"You are to take one goblet of water and put two and only two drops of sleeping potion into it. If you go over, you may kill the plant. One of your partners will distract the plant with pieces of raw meat while the other pours the goblet of water containing the potion into the fertilizer." Sprout said. "After that, you must wait twenty minutes until all of the snakes are asleep. You then cut them off the stem, and begin cutting their bodies into half inch pieces."  
  
She stopped, looking at the class, to see if they comprehended everything that she had just dictated to them. Jesabelle and Ron were giving the plants uneasy looks while Harry and Ginny kept stealing quick glances at each other.  
  
"I must warn you, under no circumstances are the sleeping potions to be used for other than the plants. If anyone is caught trying to give the potion to another person, they will automatically get detention." Sprout said. "And one more word; if you kill your plant, you and your partner will automatically get points taken off from your final score. You may begin."  
  
The class immediately took the objects out of the their boxes and set to work on the plants. Ginny and Hermione already had their plant fast asleep about thirty minutes into the class, while Ron and Harry were struggling slightly. But no one struggled as much as Jesabelle and Neville did. It was Neville's job to pour the potion into the fertilizer, and Jesabelle was supposed to distract the plants with the raw meat.  
  
Neville waited as Jesabelle, meat in her right hand, her wand on her left, was anxiously trying to distract the plant, which seemed to be extra hungry. It appeared to be a hopeless cause, for every time the snake tried to take the meat from Jesabelle's hand, which would have been a good opportunity to offer it the meat, Jesabelle's hand moved away in fright.  
  
It got to the point where Jesabelle began poking each snake with her wand with each chance she got, hoping that this tactic may distract them as well.  
  
To make things worse, about an hour or so into the class period, while Jesabelle poked the stem with her wand, she began to get irritated.  
  
"These stupid snakes!" she yelled, now whacking the stem with her wand.  
  
"Jesabelle, you're not supposed to do that!" Neville said, trying to stop her, but she ignored him, still furiously whacking at the reptiles.  
  
After five whacks, a burst of purple light suddenly came out of her wand and hit the stem. The snakes froze, and then, their heads suddenly exploded, making Jesabelle and Neville duck down as guts spilled all over their working area.  
  
"Oh goodness!" Professor Sprout said.  
  
"I am so sorry Professor. Oh no!" Jesabelle said, looking at her wand, and then back at the dead plant, as she rose from the ground.  
  
"You were not supposed to perform such things Ms. Potter. You were supposed to be patient!" Sprout said, picking up the pot and disposing of it while everyone else laughed at her, excluding Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and the Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs.  
  
The bell suddenly rang and everybody picked up their bags, heading up to the castle.  
  
"I'm sorry Neville that must have been embarrassing." Jesabelle said, looking at the ground, her face red with embarrassment.  
  
"It's all right. Trust me; I've had worse moments than that." Neville said, putting an arm around Jesabelle's shoulders.  
  
At that moment, a bunch of Slytherins, lead by Parker waltzed up to them.  
  
"The de-gnomer killed another plant!" Parker said, mockingly.  
  
"Come off it Parker." Luna said.  
  
"Oh Jesabelle," Parker said, ignoring Luna, "did you ever tell your friends about the mandrake you swelled last year?"  
  
Jesabelle looked down at the ground again.  
  
"You have to hear the story!" Parker said, turning to a bunch of seventh and fifth year Slytherins. "We were repotting mandrakes, and Jesabelle accidentally spilled some of the potion we made earlier that day onto its face!"  
  
The whole crowd began to laugh.  
  
"The thing's head began to swell the size of a lemon. It took our professor days just to get the head to shrink back to its normal size. Jesabelle failed that class at the end of the year though." Parker continued, laughing at Jesabelle.  
  
Jesabelle was nearly as red as Ron's hair by that time, her head still hung low. Suddenly Hermione, who was in the back of the group with Ron, began stalking towards Parker, her right hand slowly rising with each step she took. Ron quickly took note of this and held her back.  
  
"Ron! Let me go!" Hermione said.  
  
"You were going to slap her like you did Malfoy weren't you?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes. Now just let me go and I can go and give that crowd something to laugh about." Hermione said, still struggling.  
  
"You're head girl, remember? I don't think you want to risk your reputation." Ron said.  
  
Hermione sighed and eased up. Ron let her go and turned to Harry, who had his fists clenched, staring at Parker as if he was going to break her neck.  
  
"Just ignore her Harry." Jesabelle suddenly said.  
  
"Let's go." Neville said, his arm still around Jesabelle's shoulder.  
  
They turned to leave when Parker suddenly yelled behind them, "Oh Jesabelle! Don't forget about the time your ropes caught fire during potions? Now that was a real laugh."  
  
The Slytherins laughed again as Parker began running around frantically, patting her robes, pretending it was on fire and she was putting it out.  
  
Jesabelle lifted her head and to the others' surprise, her face wasn't shining with tears, it was swelling with anger. Her face was very red now, and Neville kept a firmer grip on Jesabelle's shoulders.  
  
"Oh, now are you ready to fight?" Parker said, turning to her.  
  
Jesabelle looked her in the eye.  
  
"And here I am thinking that you were going to have your 'bodyguards' do the work. I swear, Jesabelle, when are you going to learn how to defend yourself?" Parker said smugly. The Slytherins laughed louder.  
  
Draco Malfoy suddenly appeared from the side, and Jesabelle was the only one who noticed him. He wasn't laughing at all, much to her surprise and wonder.  
  
"Your mother did a terrible job of raising you, I mean what kind of mother let's her daughter get hurt like this?' Parker said to the crowd.  
  
"Now, there will be no need for such remarks to be made, Ms. Parker." Draco suddenly said, stepping up in front, between Jesabelle and Parker, who were about three feet apart. The Slytherins suddenly stopped and looked at Malfoy as if he had gone over to the "dark side".  
  
"Excuse me Draco?" Parker said, taken aback.  
  
"Just because you are a prefect, you do not have the right to insult any other student, or their families. To be a prefect is a privilege, not a right. In fact," Draco said, suddenly reaching out, and pulling Parker's Prefect badge from her robes, "based on your behavior, I don't think you deserve this badge, I don't even know why the teachers made you a prefect in the first place."  
  
The Slytherins' mouths dropped open as Malfoy chucked the badge into a nearby trash bin.  
  
"Now, I suggest you all head back to your common rooms, or proceed directly to the Great Hall for dinner." Malfoy said.  
  
All the Slytherins gave him a dirty look as they all walked up to the Great Hall. Parker stood there for a few seconds, glared at Malfoy, then at Jesabelle, and ran up the castle stairs.  
  
Harry and the others stood rooted to the spot. Malfoy turned to them and said, "I don't think you all just want to stand out here, night is closing in. Besides, I'm willing to bet you are all at least tad bit hungry. Good evening." And with that Malfoy walked away.  
  
Harry and the others began walking up to the common room in silence. They all sat there, apparently so shocked with what happened.  
  
After about ten minutes of this, Jesabelle broke the silence saying, "What just happened?"  
  
"I do not know." Hermione said.  
  
"What does he think he's playing at?" Ron asked.  
  
"This is way too weird. Bloody hell." Harry said.  
  
"Are we all asleep and having the same dream?" Neville asked, pinching himself, he certainly felt the pain and sighed in exasperation.  
  
"Maybe he's turning over a new leaf." Hermione said.  
  
"Right Hermione and I'm Hagrid's second cousin." Ron said.  
  
"It could be possible." Hermione said.  
  
"We should give him a chance, that's an awfully big step to go for turning over a new leaf." Ginny said. Jesabelle nodded and sighed.  
  
"That darn Parker." Jesabelle said, changing the subject. "She knows that Herbology is my worst subject."  
  
"It was like Malfoy extracted all of his...his, uh 'Malfoy-nes' to Parker." Ron said.  
  
"Argh!" Jesabelle said, pounding a fist on the table in front of them, making the other Gryffindors look at them oddly yet again. "Everything I touch dies!"  
  
"Oh don't say that." Harry said, hugging Jesabelle from the side.  
  
"Neville will help you out!" Ginny said.  
  
Jesabelle smiled and they decided to skip dinner, not wanting to meet Parker again. Instead, they did their homework, and had fun doing it together.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Time moved quickly on to October. Harry was training the Gryffindor team harder and harder as each day inched closer to their fist Quidditch match, which was against Slytherin. It was scheduled to take place on October 25, Saturday.  
  
Ron had been training over the summer and he grew to be a superb keeper, no longer caring about the taunts below him in the stadiums that came from the Slytherins.  
  
Dennis and Colin Creevy were working very good as well, except for the one incident where they made a hole through one of the benches in the stadium due to poor aim.  
  
Jesabelle, Ginny, and Ella were doing a great job, creating diverse tactics and strategies that boosted their confidence as they perfected it.  
  
Harry couldn't help it. He was the captain and the seeker, but instead of focusing on catching the snitch, he was thinking more about "catching" Ginny.  
  
"Stop watching her Harry, you might get hit by something, or worse, Ginny could notice that you're looking at her." He said to himself.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
On the Saturday night before the game, which was now a week from now, Jesabelle was coming up late from Quidditch practice. She decided to stay back after everyone else had left, since she had already finished all of her homework. She flew a few times around the stadium and touched back down.  
  
Jesabelle walked down the corridors to the common room. She turned the corner and suddenly heard voices coming from the outside of the Heads' dorm.  
  
"I am very sorry Professor, but I can't really concentrate in this dorm." She heard Hermione say.  
  
"And for what reason is that Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore replied.  
  
Jesabelle stopped behind a statue of a plump looking witch and carefully peered around to see Hermione and Dumbledore, about a foot or two away from the entrance to the Heads' dorm.  
  
"The atmosphere is just all wrong for me Professor." Hermione said. "For some reason or another, I just can't seem to study as well in there. And I don't want my scores to drop."  
  
Dumbledore sighed slightly and looked at her, just as Draco walked out of the portrait covering the entrance to the dorm and making his way towards them. Jesabelle felt her heart leap at the sight of him, but dismissing it, irritated, now was not the time for that.  
  
"I understand Ms. Granger, but I am afraid there is no room in the seventh year girls' dormitories in the Gryffindor Tower for you. Until you can find someone from there to take your place, I am afraid that you will have to remain here until further notice." Dumbledore said, as Draco stood by his side, obviously there just for show.  
  
Jesabelle didn't know why, but she stepped from behind the statue and walked to them, broom in hand saying, "If Hermione and Draco don't mind, I could give up my bed to Hermione, and take her place in her dorm, seeing as her studies could suffer from the atmosphere."  
  
They all turned to her, startled.  
  
"That is very kind of you, Ms. Potter. Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, do you have anything to say against this?" Dumbledore asked, turning to the Head Boy and Girl.  
  
"Oh no, I don't mind at all Professor." Malfoy said, much to Jesabelle and Hermione's surprise, he didn't even put up a fight.  
  
"All right then it is settled, you may move your things in tomorrow Ms. Potter. A good night to you all." Dumbledore said, nodding to them and heading to the direction of his office.  
  
"Since that is settled, good night ladies." Draco said, stepping into the Head dorm.  
  
Hermione and Jesabelle said good night and headed to each other's dorm, still very puzzled about Malfoy's behavior.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What?!" Harry asked the next morning at breakfast, "You moved in with Malfoy?"  
  
"Yes Harry, I did, stop making a fuss over it. Hermione couldn't study very well in there; I was doing her a favor. And besides, it's not like its Ginny who's moving in with him." Jesabelle said.  
  
Harry put his hand over Jesabelle's mouth, looking five people down the table to where Ginny was sitting with some sixth years, making sure that she didn't hear Jesabelle's last remark. When he was reassured, he removed his hand from Jesabelle's mouth.  
  
"If he does anything to you, tell me, all right?" Harry asked.  
  
Jesabelle nodded and rolled her eyes, laughing to herself at how protective Harry could be when the time came.  
  
Yup there you go! Quidditch and romance are coming up so stay tuned! Thanks! Please read and review! ^_^ 


	11. Hisses and Roars

QUIDDITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Hope you enjoy!  
  
Have fun!  
  
That is all I have to say.  
  
Chapter 11: Hisses and Roars  
  
Jesabelle walked into her new room in the Heads' Dorm, closing the door behind her. It was painted maroon, and a bed lay on her right, with red sheets, golden pillows, and red and golden striped curtains and canopy, much resembling and representing the Gryffindor house; a nightstand stood next to it. She had just moved in about a week ago, and it already seemed like home. There was a door to her left, which led to her bathroom. Farther in the room there was a window overlooking the lake, and a dresser about a foot or two away from the bathroom door. A bit away from the window, there was a small shelf, which contained her books and supplies.  
  
Today was going to be the first Quidditch game of the season; Gryffindor against Slytherin. In all the time she had spent in this dorm with Draco Malfoy, she had not really said much of anything to him, as he did the same to her. Actually, the only words they did exchange were brief remarks, but mostly limited to greetings.  
  
Jesabelle pulled on her Quidditch robes, grabbed her broom and walked out of the room to find Malfoy coming out of his room as well.  
  
Malfoy smiled at her and walked over.  
  
The common room was very cozy as one might say, a fire crackling on your right, three armchairs scattered around, and in the middle of the room, were two couches, both on one side of a table. At the far end of the room stood two widows overlooking the Quidditch field. Next to the left window, there stood a small library, which consisted of two large wooden shelves, containing books of literature and magical education, an armchair and a table positioned close by.  
  
"Well, the first game of the season." Malfoy said, also dressed in his Quidditch robes, broom in hand (he had a firebolt 350; two models before the firebolt armageddon, which Jesabelle held in her left hand).  
  
"Yes, it sure is." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Good luck Potter." Malfoy said, holding out his hand.  
  
"I think you will be needing the luck today Malfoy, but thanks anyways." Jesabelle said with a gin, shaking his hand.  
  
Everyone was so excited that half the castle practically skipped breakfast and headed to the Quidditch field, waiting in anticipation for the upcoming game.  
  
Meanwhile, inside the locker rooms, Harry was giving the usual captain to team speech.  
  
"The first game of the year. We have all been training hard for this season. For most of us it is our last year. So, let's play our cards right, and win! If not, then we will pick ourselves up and try again." Harry said, looking into each one of his team member's faces.  
  
They all nodded at him and stood up. Jesabelle remained behind in the back with Harry. When the others were out of earshot she whispered in Harry's ear, "Now Harry remember, watch for the snitch, not for Ginny!"  
  
Harry pushed her playfully and they flew out into the field, meeting massive roars (and of course the groans from the Slytherins) from the crowd.  
  
"Good morning Hogwarts!" Dean Thomas said; he was to be the year's commentator. "Today's game, Gryffindor versus Slytherin!"  
  
Cheers erupted from the stadium.  
  
The school always cheered for the Gryffindors, it was like some sort of law that has always been there, and was always enforced. Everyone knew that the Gryffindors would always beat Slytherin, but the school never got tired of it. Every game the Gryffindors always had some new trick up their sleeves, which would ultimately result in the loss of the Slytherins, and the gain of the Gryffindors.  
  
Madame Hooch walked out into the field and looked up at the teams in the air.  
  
"Captains, shake hands." Hooch said as Harry and Malfoy touched down to the ground.  
  
Everyone grew silent as they watched Harry and Malfoy close the distance between each other.  
  
They looked at each other and shook hands, keeping hold on the other long enough to make you think they wanted to rip them off the other. They finally released and flew into the air.  
  
Hooch released the bludgers and the snitch, but keeping hold of the quaffle under her arm.  
  
"I want a good and clean game all right? At least as clean enough as you would allow." Hooch said looking up at all of them again.  
  
The crowd still stood silent.  
  
Hooch took the quaffle in her hands and threw it into the air.  
  
Jesabelle flew in and took the quaffle in her arms as the Slytherin chaser was just inches away from it. The crowd erupted in cheers again, as Jesabelle flew through the middle of the field, the Slytherins on her tail.  
  
"And it's Jesabelle Potter taking possession of the quaffle, beginning our game!" Thomas said excitedly.  
  
Harry watched this from high above in the air, still searching for the snitch. He felt a pang of pride as he watched his cousin's determined and straight face, her braided hair flying in the rush of wind she cut through.  
  
Jesabelle looked to her right and left, being met with some angry Slytherin chasers. She looked at the Slytherin chaser on her right, grinned, and suddenly dropped the quaffle, letting it land in Ginny's outstretched arms, who was below Jesabelle.  
  
At that moment, just as the Slytherins were going to dive in after her, Colin and Dennis Creevy sent both bludgers flying in their way, causing them to drift off course as Ginny maneuvered skillfully, confusing the Slytherin keeper, and scoring a goal.  
  
"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Thomas managed to shout over the cheers that erupted from the stadium.  
  
Harry grinned, watching Ginny circle around to high five Jesabelle.  
  
Madame Hooch blew her whistle and Ella Bell took possession of the quaffle. When the Slytherins began to tail her, she plummeted down and threw the quaffle behind her, Jesabelle catching it, then throwing it to Ginny, who was flying upward.  
  
"Potter! Weasley! Bell! Weasley again! Bell! Potter! Bell! Potter..Potter scores!" Thomas yelled, as the Slytherins groaned in exasperation.  
  
Malfoy also watched the game from above, and searching for the snitch as well. He laughed silently to himself at how stupid his team looked against the Gryffindors. True, they had trained, but only because Snape forced them to. If he hadn't, they would have probably just wasted their time lounging around the Slytherin common room and being lazy.  
  
The Gryffindors scored another goal, thanks to Katie Bell, their score now thirty to zero, zero being the Slytherins.  
  
Now the Slytherins started to kick it up a notch and started playing dirty. Their beaters, who were "surprisingly" Crabbe and Goyle, kept hitting the bludgers to any and every Gryffindor team member they could get close enough to.  
  
Madame Hooch had already called two fouls by the middle of the game. One foul was set against Gryffindor, since Colin Creevy had gotten so frustrated he just forgot about the bludgers and his bat and lunged for one of the Slytherin seekers, who had tried to knock Ella Bell off her broom. The second foul was called against Slytherin when Jesabelle and one of the Slytherin female chasers, who went by the name of Julie Smith, got into a "cat fight" and began lunging for each other the second they were on the ground.  
  
About three fourths through the game, Colin had a black eye, Ella was a bit bruised, Harry also had a nasty punch to the eye, and Jesabelle had a cut on her cheek and lip.  
  
Jesabelle had possession of the quaffle and was heading to the Slytherin goal posts. They were now tied, fifty to fifty. Jesabelle just had to get this one in, so they had a fighting chance. All they needed now was for Harry to catch that snitch before Malfoy did.  
  
She dodged Julie Smith, who was about to grab her from behind and made her way through the throng of Slytherins. She was so busy trying to get Julie off her tail that she did not notice a bludger that was heading straight towards her.  
  
Harry dived when he saw the bludger heading straight for Jesabelle. She didn't see it coming; she was looking back at the Slytherin behind her.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Harry said, pulling into a dive.  
  
Harry dived, willing his firebolt to move faster. Then, in a split second, Harry pulled Jesabelle out of the way, and the bludger hit Julie's broomstick, sending her flying back a few feet away.  
  
Jesabelle and Harry stopped in midair.  
  
"Harry, thanks, don't worry about me, get the snitch." Jesabelle said, catching her breath and flying off to continue the game.  
  
Harry looked around and saw, just a few feet away from the Gryffindor goal posts, the golden snitch, its wings flapping gracefully in the wind. Harry flew towards it, Malfoy already ahead of him by a foot or two.  
  
At that same time, Jesabelle was throwing the quaffle back and forth between Ella and Ginny, Dean screaming at the top of his lings, trying to keep up with both of the events that were already underway.  
  
The crowd was confused. They kept looking from Jesabelle and the chasers, to Harry and Malfoy.  
  
Harry pulled at the tails of Malfoy's broom and pulled him back to be at equal speed with him. They both focused their eyes on the snitch, and both turned their heads as it flew away to the right. They swerved in unison, never taking their eyes off the snitch.  
  
Jesabelle accidentally dropped the quaffle and Julie Smith caught it and headed to the Gryffindor goal posts where Ron was waiting, obviously waiting for them. They began going around passing it to one another, in an attempt to distract Ron. This didn't have any such effect on Ron, for he already knew what kind of tricks they had set in their thick minds and never took his eyes off the quaffle.  
  
A few seconds later, Smith suddenly threw the quaffle at the hoop to Ron's right. Ron swerved and caught it with his right hand, sending an eruption of cheers yet again from the stadium.  
  
"And Ron Weasley saves another one for the Gryffindors!" Dean said.  
  
Ron threw it back to Ginny, who flew off, the Slytherins, Jesabelle, and Ella following after her. Smith stayed back for two seconds, glared at him, who grinned in response and rejoined the game.  
  
Harry and Malfoy were still racing around, following the snitch. They were both getting dizzy, but their determination kept them flying. Surprisingly, they did not say a word and not an insult was thrown, they both knew what they had to do and just though tit best to just focus on it and do it.  
  
Ella has possession of the quaffle and threw it to Ginny, who passed it to Jesabelle. Jesabelle swerved away just as Crabbe was going to grab her.  
  
Harry sped up and got in front of Malfoy and pushing him back, reaching for the snitch. Malfoy pulled him back, but Harry pushed him away, nearly throwing him into the range of a random bludger, which forced Malfoy off course.  
  
Jesabelle dodged a bludger, the quaffle still under her arm.  
  
Harry looked behind him and seeing that Malfoy was gone, stretched out his right arm for the snitch.  
  
At that same time, Jesabelle was extending her arm to throw the quaffle through the middle Slytherin hoop.  
  
Harry lunged and wrapped his right hand around the snitch, just as the Slytherin keeper failed to block the shot made by Jesabelle, causing the quaffle to go through the hoops.  
  
The crowd practically exploded with cheers and energy.  
  
"The last shot scored by Jesabelle Potter, while Harry Potter catches the snitch! And all at the same time! Two hundred points to fifty points. Gryffindor is the victor!" Thomas said over the screams.  
  
It was the first game of the season and they started it off with a bang.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They all celebrated the well fought battle and victory of the game in the Gryffindor common room. By midnight, Jesabelle said she had to rest and left the common room, big smile across her face. Her first Quidditch game in a while. Boy was it exciting!  
  
She made her way to the Heads' Dorm, said the password (salamander skins - Draco's idea) and walked in. She was surprised to see Malfoy sitting in front of the fire, his nose in a book, wearing navy blue boxers and a white shirt.  
  
"Why are you still up?" Jesabelle asked, walked towards him.  
  
"Couldn't sleep." Malfoy said. "Great game today Jesabelle."  
  
"Oh, thanks Draco." Jesabelle said. She just stood there in silence and then said, "All right then good night, or rather, good morning." She smiled at him and walked into her room closing the door behind her.  
  
Draco stared at the door. For some reason, he didn't feel resentment towards her for winning the game. Instead, he felt as if she deserved to win the game. She did play hard after all. Draco sighed; he was never going to figure out this "raging hormones" thing.  
  
Ha-ha! There's the Quidditch game! Tell me what you think, please read and review! Thankies! ^_^ 


	12. The Halloween Ball

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for my original ones and my plot. I also do not own the song(s) used in this chapter. Thank you.  
  
Okay, the romance begins!!!!!  
  
Chapter 12: The Halloween Ball  
  
Monday morning rolled around, but everyone still discussed the Quidditch game as if it just happened yesterday. All right, so maybe it just took place two days ago, but sometimes, people tend to forget what exactly happen. But the game was good, so everyone still wanted to discuss it.  
  
That night, at dinner, Dumbledore rose up and a sudden hush filled the hall.  
  
"I have an important announcement to make." Dumbledore said, pausing to look at the students. "This year, Hogwarts will be holding a Halloween Ball in place of the cancelled Yule Ball, which was supposedly to take place on Christmas. The ball will be a casual dress occasion. Everyone is invited to bring a date, or dress up as a monster and such." Dumbledore paused again, for the hall was soon filled with exciting chattering. When the students realized Dumbledore had stopped, they silenced themselves. "The ball will take place on Halloween night, October 31st, Friday. I do hope all of you will be able to join us in this spectacular celebration of the Halloween season." Dumbledore sat down and then the chattering began again immediately.  
  
"A ball, huh?" Jesabelle said, looking at the others. "Sounds like fun."  
  
Harry caught a twinkle in his cousin's eye and already knew she was up to something.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Besides the Quidditch game, everyone was also talking about the Halloween Ball.  
  
Harry and Jesabelle were walking along the lake on a Thursday afternoon, the day before the dance.  
  
"Why don't you ask Ginny?" Jesabelle asked Harry, who seemed deep in thought.  
  
"I'm just afraid I'll be rejected Jesabelle, you know that." Harry said. "I don't want to take anymore risks for as long as I can. Risks only lead me to loss."  
  
Jesabelle sighed and hugged Harry tightly, knowing he was feeling depressed about death yet again.  
  
"All right then Harry, if you won't take action, I will." Jesabelle said, releasing him from the hug, giving him a small squeeze on his arm with her right hand, winked at him and walked to the castle to devise her "master plan".  
  
Harry cracked a smile, Jesabelle and Ginny were the only ones who knew how to make him smile when he was feeling a little mellow, and he just silently hoped that they wouldn't be taken away from him, as so many other people important to him have been.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The night of the Halloween Ball arrived and Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna descended down the stairs. Jesabelle said she was feeling a bit under the weather and reassured them that she would come down later. Harry had insisted that she just stay in bed and rest, and Jesabelle resentfully agreed.  
  
Harry was dressed in blue baggy pants a tight, blue shirt. Hey, it wasn't Halloween style, but at least it kept Ginny busy staring at him for a while.  
  
Hermione wore a black skirt, and an orange half sleeved blouse. Ron was wearing blue pants and a red long sleeved shirt.  
  
Neville was wearing cream colored shorts, and was also wearing an orange shirt, with the print saying "Chudley Cannons" in the middle.  
  
Luna was wearing a denim skirt that came about an inch above her knees and a white t-shirt.  
  
When they walked into the Great Hall, they were met with the usual Halloween decorations. Floating pumpkins, live bats, the ghosts floating around, and enchanted skeletons coming up to you at random and giving you a casual hello and walking away.  
  
Ron and Hermione decided to hit the dance floor as Harry and the other went to find a table.  
  
They were surprisingly playing American songs, since it somehow managed to get through to the wizarding world. They heard the song "Get Busy" by Sean Paul come on and everyone walked onto the dance floor, finding a partner and dancing to the beat.  
  
When the song ended, Harry realized Ginny was around and asked Neville, who was the closest to him if he knew where she was.  
  
"She said she needed a bathroom break." Neville yelled over the music. Harry nodded to show his thanks and walked over to the refreshment table, looking around for a sign of Ginny's hair or face.  
  
Ron and Hermione walked by, laughing and having a great time. Harry smiled at them, they looked really happy. He felt a slight pang of jealousy hit him as he watched them but dismissed it.  
  
After about ten minutes of watching out for Ginny, Harry decided to walk back to the table, surprised to see Jesabelle, decked out in dark blue flares, a black, long-sleeved button up blouse, an orange tie, and black converse sneakers, sitting at the table.  
  
She smiled up at him and signaled him to the table.  
  
Harry walked over to see that Jesabelle was a lot paler than usual and had big bags sagging under her eyes. Her wavy hair hung loosely around her, making her look like some sort of ghost.  
  
"You look tired." Harry said, sitting next to her.  
  
"I'm fine Harry. I only look like this because I was aiming for the vampire/ghost effect. What do you think?" Jesabelle said.  
  
"Creative." Harry said. "Hey, have you-"  
  
"Seen Ginny? Yes, I have Harry." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Where is she?" Harry asked.  
  
"She's in the gardens, alone." Jesabelle said.  
  
"What is she doing there?" Harry asked.  
  
"Rethinking her emotions, in a good way." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Maybe I should go and keep her company." Harry said getting up.  
  
"No, not yet." Jesabelle said, pushing Harry down. "Just wait."  
  
"This is another one of your plans, isn't it?" Harry asked, sitting back down.  
  
"Yes, it sure is." Jesabelle said. "Now, when they play the next slow song, I want you to go out there and say whatever it is you want to say to her."  
  
"What if I get rejected?" Harry asked.  
  
"Don't worry about that Harry, trust me on this one." Jesabelle said. "I'll stand by at good distance to give you your privacy and to make sure that no one intervenes."  
  
"How will you do that?" Harry asked.  
  
"I have my ways. Just wait for the slow song." Jesabelle said.  
  
"I really have to repay you for this." Harry said.  
  
"You don't have to, really. It is my pleasure." Jesabelle said.  
  
Just then, the song, "If You're Not the One" by Daniel Bedingfield came on.  
  
"Go." Jesabelle said as Harry slowly got up. "Be the Harry she loves, nothing more, nothing less. Love her Harry, and cherish her tonight and forever."  
  
Harry nodded and exited the Great Hall. Jesabelle followed about a minute later.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny was sitting in a bench in a secluded part of the gardens. There were pumpkins within the bushes nearby sending creepy, but fascinating shadows upon the ground.  
  
She was wearing a sleeve-less spaghetti strapped orange dress that came just a little bit below her knees. Her hair hung in curls an inch below her shoulders.  
  
Ginny was only thinking about one thing, and that was Harry. She still loved Harry, no matter how hard she tried, she just could not let go of him. He was the one thing that kept her sane for so long. Sure, Ron was always there. But she didn't need a brother; she already had more than enough of that. No, she needed someone who would love her and help her create children and such. Sure, it was a farfetched dream of hers to picture herself with Harry, but it was the one thing she had left.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry looked at her from behind the tree. The garden was dim. The only light that came to this part of the garden was the moonlight, and it shone upon Ginny's form like a spotlight would shine upon a superstar.  
  
Harry had loved Ginny since his fourth year. He had just begun to be infatuated with Cho so he could silence those feelings. He never really knew for sure if she still loved him; she was very good at hiding, if there was anything to hide at all. He would always dream about her and thought about how much he wanted to hold her, and make her his forever.  
  
He finally stepped out from behind the tree and walked over to Ginny, trying to be as silent as possible; the last thing he wanted was to startle her or scare her away.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle stepped from behind a bush and walked over to scrutinize the area in which Harry and Ginny were to finally pour themselves out.  
  
This garden was the definition of seclusion and loneliness, only moon light shone upon the only stone bench that was there, shielded by a few trees. She knew Ginny loved this place, she knew that Ginny only came here when her emotions were in a jumble.  
  
In the back of her mind, Jesabelle had a bad feeling that things would not turn out the way she would hope, but she knew that it would. She knew that they loved each other, they were just too afraid to see it. Ever since she had found out, she made it her life's mission to bring them together. And now, she was at the peak of her mission, the last battle she would have to fight in this war of love and bringing two who love each other together.  
  
She ducked behind a bush and watched them, setting her plan into action.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hello Ginny." Harry said softly, a foot behind Ginny, making her jump.  
  
"Oh, good evening Harry." Ginny said.  
  
The slow song found its way to the secluded area, and the two could hear the song's words as clearly as if it was playing right next to them, even though they were far away from the ball.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?  
  
If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?  
  
If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call  
  
If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I love this song." Ginny said.  
  
"Would like to dance with me then?" Harry asked.  
  
Ginny blushed a bit but took Harry's hand and he led her to the middle of the small garden and bringing her close to him, loving the smell of her around him.  
  
Ginny felt Harry pull her into his arms and sighed silently, placing her head across his chest.  
  
"I know this might seem a bit late and all but I wanted to tell you something." Harry said, becoming breathless.  
  
Ginny looked at him questioningly and said with great difficulty, "I have something to tell you as well. But you go first."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I never know what the future brings  
  
But I know you are here with me now  
  
We'll make it through  
  
And I hope you are the one I share my life with  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Listen Ginny, I-I-I" Harry stammered.  
  
"Yes Harry?" Ginny asked, looking straight into his emerald green eyes.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle had muttered a spell and an invisible force field surrounded the area, blocking out all the sound that came from the inside, but ensuring that those inside the force field would hear the noises coming from outside.  
  
Dobby popped up from behind her and walked over to her, carrying a small lantern, full of small fairies that were glowing in every possible color, from blue, to red, to green, to gold.  
  
Jesabelle smiled at him and watched the couple dancing under the moon light.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I love you." Harry whispered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand  
  
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?  
  
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?  
  
Ginny gasped.  
  
"I'm sorry." Harry said, slowly pulling away from her, not looking at her face.  
  
Ginny grabbed his chin and made him look into her eyes and kissed him.  
  
Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Ginny felt his warmth around her ran her hand through his untidy hair.  
  
They pulled away, flushed.  
  
"I love you too Harry." Ginny said softly and laid her head on his chest again.  
  
Harry's eyes widened. She said it. She loved him. He sighed and pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair and pulling her towards him to take her mouth into another kiss.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
We'll make it through  
  
And I hope you are the one I share my life with  
  
And I wish that you could be the one I die with  
  
And I pray in you're the one I build my home with  
  
I hope I love you all my life  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Release the fairies near the tree and let them fly around." Jesabelle said to Dobby who nodded. Suddenly, she began to gasp for air and clutched her right again, grimacing in unmistakable pain.  
  
"Is Madame Potter all right?" Dobby asked, concernedly.  
  
"I'm all right, go and do what I asked you, I have to leave; you know what to do later." Jesabelle said, getting up from behind her hiding place, still grimacing and crept along the bushes, being careful not to be seen.  
  
She made her way through the front doors and across the Great Hall hoping that no one had seen her.  
  
But someone had seen her. Blake Marshall was just about to head towards the exit of the Great Hall, when he saw Jesabelle hurry past. He grinned and silently followed after her.  
  
Someone had also seen Jesabelle and had also seen Blake Marshall leave. Draco Malfoy had been watching Marshall like a hawk all night, as if daring him to try and touch Jesabelle. Later on, he had lost track of Jesabelle, but decided to keep his eyes on Marshall. When he saw him leave, he got up from the table at which he was sitting at and quietly stole after him, knowing what he had thought up in his mind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle walked down the corridor, clutching her head with both hands. She kept hearing voices, voices she could not recognize or understand. Plus, the pain in her right arm made things worse.  
  
She was a strong person, but, when it came to this, she was almost powerless. This was the first time this has happened in the while, and she was determined to gain back her strength. She was always weak and disorientated when it left her.  
  
She leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, and sank down to the floor, still clutching her head. Two minutes later, the voice and the pain subsided, leaving her dazed and a bit dizzy, her sight sort of foggy, despite how much light shone through the corridor.  
  
Before she knew what was happening, she was picked up by strong arms and brought into an empty classroom, which was just a step away.  
  
She felt the mysterious person sit her in an empty chair and close the door behind him. Her sight soon began to return and she did not like what she saw before. She saw Blake Marshall standing over her, a grin playing across his face.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco Malfoy had been following Blake for the past three minutes, but then lost him around a corridor; he cursed silently to himself and looked around for any sight of him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Blake picked her up and pinned her against the wall, pressing his lips against hers, Jesabelle struggled, and he was still much stronger than her physically. She searched for her wand and found that she must have left it in the corridor. Jesabelle kept her lips shut firmly and with all her might tried to push him away, but it didn't work.  
  
Blake pulled away and smirked at her saying, "Just one kiss Jesabelle, that's all I want."  
  
"Bloody hell that's all you want." Jesabelle said, spitting at him.  
  
Blake got angry and slapped her hand with his left hand, making her fall heavily on the ground. Seeing his opportunity, Blake got down on top of and held her arms above her head.  
  
"Now, you are going to give me what I want." Blake said.  
  
"Or what?" Jesabelle asked sarcastically, the fall made her hit her head to hard and she was beginning to black out, she struggled to stay awake.  
  
"Or I will make you feel so much pain." Blake said, a sinister look in his eye.  
  
"Like I haven't' felt pain before." Jesabelle said, receiving another slap from Blake.  
  
"Now don't use that tone with me." Blake said.  
  
Jesabelle felt blood in her mouth but she didn't really care, all she cared about at the moment was how she was going to get out of the mess she was in right now. Blake was using his weight to keep Jesabelle down, and Jesabelle was still so weak from what happened earlier. She struggled in vain to get free from Blake's grasp.  
  
Blake began kissing her neck, licking her skin, making her shiver with disgust.  
  
"Help!" Jesabelle tried screaming, only hearing a whisper come out her mouth.  
  
"No one can hear you scream." Blake said, as he used one hand to hold her hands up above her head, and another to remove her tie and her blouse.  
  
Jesabelle's senses kicked in and began to squirm, screaming for help. Blake hit her again, proceeding to take his shirt off.  
  
"Help!" Jesabelle screamed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Malfoy picked up Jesabelle's wand from the ground and then heard her screams coming from the classroom. Without hesitation, he pocketed Jesabelle's wand and walked over the door, trying to open it, when he found it was locked, he took out his wand and blasted the wall into cinders.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Blake almost had all of Jesabelle's buttons off when Malfoy burst in, his eyes splashed with fury. He didn't care about wands. He picked Blake up from the back and threw punched him.  
  
Jesabelle realized what was going on and crawled to a corner, clutching her tie in her right hand, crying.  
  
Blake hit Draco in the stomach. Draco hit back by using all his strength and punched him, making him hit the wall and fall on his face, unconscious.  
  
Draco walked to Jesabelle and tried to touch her. She recoiled, afraid of him.  
  
"It's me Jesabelle, its Draco." Draco whispered. "I'm here."  
  
Jesabelle looked up at him as he lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the room, repairing the door and walking towards the Head dorms, leaving Blake's bleeding body behind.  
  
There! I hope you all like it! Please read and review! ^-^ 


	13. The Internal Struggle Begins

Hello yet again everyone! Thanks a bunch to all of my reviewers! You are all the reasons why I continue on. Hope you enjoy this!  
  
Chapter 13: The Internal Struggle Begins  
  
Draco walked briskly to the Heads Dorm, gave the password and headed to his private room.  
  
Jesabelle was still sobbing. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Blake tried to rape her!  
  
Draco refused to look down at the sobbing form in his arms. He couldn't believe that that Marshall person tried to rape her! "The stupid git!" he thought to himself as he walked into his private room.  
  
His walls were painted a dark forest green, a bed laying on the right of the entrance, with black pillows, and a black blanket, with a canopy with silver green curtains. To the right of the bed was a small studying desk, full of pieces of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink. To his left lay the door that lead to his bathroom. There was also a window at the end of the room and to its right, a handsome wooden shelf with a bunch of books. To the left of the room lay Draco's closet and dresser.  
  
Draco walked to his bed and gently laid Jesabelle on it, letting her stay in a sitting position at the edge of the bed.  
  
Jesabelle was closing her eyes. She refused to believe that she was here. After what had happened, she was so scared, for all she knew, it could have been Blake in disguise, not the real Draco. Thinking about this, tears formed to her eyes and slipped down her cheek.  
  
Draco watch as the tears slipped down her face. He looked away. He didn't like to see her cry; it made his heart break. She began to sob silently.  
  
Draco couldn't take it any longer. He pulled a chair close by the bed and gently whispered into Jesabelle's ear, stroking the tears from her face saying, "Jesabelle, you're safe. You're here; here with me."  
  
Jesabelle opened her eyes and looked into Draco's face. He looked tired. He looked scared. He looked confused. He looked so, wonderful. Jesabelle did not want to have such thoughts, at least not at the moment. She began to cry so hard, that more and more tears rushed down her cheeks. She covered her face in shame and looked away from Draco.  
  
"Jesabelle." Draco said, "Marshall is gone. He isn't here, only you and me."  
  
Jesabelle dared another look at his face. She broke down. She saw such tenderness and compassion in his eyes that it made her heart melt.  
  
"I thought he loved me." Jesabelle whispered, looking down at the ground.  
  
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.  
  
"He was my first love." Jesabelle said.  
  
Draco remained silent. Jesabelle went on.  
  
"We went out just a year ago, when we met at our old school. Our relationship only lasted about ten months." Jesabelle said.  
  
"What happened?" Draco asked.  
  
Jesabelle took a sharp intake of breath and exhaled saying, "One day I was walking back to my dormitory from a meeting with one of our Professors when I found him snogging Gabriel Parker."  
  
"Parker?" Draco asked.  
  
Jesabelle nodded. "She had always been my enemy because she had always wanted Blake, but it so happens that I 'took' him 'away' from her." Jesabelle said, still looking down at the ground. "I loved him. He told me he loved me." She said, looking up and into Draco's eyes. "Then he had to go and cheat on me like that. He dumped me soon after."  
  
Draco stared into Jesabelle's eyes, his heart skipping beats.  
  
Jesabelle broke the gaze and stared down at her hands, which were on her lap. "You must think I'm pathetic."  
  
"No, I understand." Draco said.  
  
Jesabelle looked up, the surprise evident on her face. Draco smiled lightly and said, "You must be tired. I'll get you cleaned up, and you can go to sleep."  
  
Draco got up and walked into his bathroom, turning on the light, and walking to a small cabinet and taking out a small hand towel, washing it with warm water.  
  
He walked out to find Jesabelle lying on his bed, looking to the side and out the window at the stars, looking so exhausted and pale that Draco felt his heart sink, she didn't look well.  
  
He sat down in the chair next to the bed and began to wipe the side of her face with the warm towel.  
  
She had traces of bruises on her face that were already beginning to turn blue. Jesabelle turned to Draco and looked into his eyes again. It took Draco about five minutes to clear Jesabelle up and to make sure that her bruises were taken care of.  
  
When he was finished, Jesabelle was trying to get up, but grimaced and lay back down and Draco's bed, exhaling deeply, not noticing that she dropped her tie on the floor.  
  
"You shouldn't get up." Draco said. "You must be sore."  
  
Jesabelle stayed silent.  
  
"You could sleep here if you want." Draco said.  
  
"No, I don't want to be a nuisance." Jesabelle said trying to get up, but Draco gently pushed her back down.  
  
"You need your rest." Draco said.  
  
Jesabelle nodded and closed her eyes. Draco, thinking she was asleep, removed her shoes, and threw the blanket over her.  
  
He was about to leave the room when Jesabelle's voice came from his bed.  
  
"Please don't leave me here. I don't want to be alone." She begged, her eyes opened, the exhaustion visible within them.  
  
Draco sighed and sat in the chair next to the bed. "I thought you would be stronger that this." He said.  
  
"Even the strongest people can sometimes be vulnerable." Jesabelle said, her eyes closing and falling into slumber.  
  
Draco sighed again and looked at Jesabelle's form. He was definitely having feelings for her. He hated it up to some degree.  
  
When he was sure she was asleep, he just decided to just set it all aside and climbed into the bed with Jesabelle, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him, treasuring her scent and warmth he felt around her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco woke up the next morning to find that Jesabelle had left. Worried, he got up and went into the common room to find her sitting in a chair in front of the fire.  
  
"Good morning." He said.  
  
She turned around, she still looked as exhausted as she did the night before, and her bruises were still visible on her face.  
  
She smiled and said softly, "Good morning.", standing up and carrying a plate of what looked to be everything that usual showed up on the breakfast table every morning and a jug of pumpkin juice and an empty goblet. "I didn't want to wake you up, you looked really tired last night, so I had some house elves bring some food from breakfast."  
  
"What time is it?" Draco asked, stifling a yawn.  
  
"It's about one in the afternoon." Jesabelle said.  
  
"What time did you get up?" Draco asked.  
  
"I woke up at like seven in the morning. I couldn't go back to sleep." Jesabelle said, growing pink with embarrassment.  
  
"I see. Since then you haven't left the dorm?" Draco asked, curiously.  
  
Jesabelle shook her head.  
  
"You have to tell them somehow." Draco said, running his hand through his hair, making it look messy and very appealing to Jesabelle.  
  
"They'll be furious." Jesabelle said.  
  
"But they will find out in the end right?" Draco asked.  
  
"Yes, of course, they deserve to know." Jesabelle said.  
  
There was silence in the common room for a second and then Jesabelle said, "But until then, eat up, I'm sure you're hungry."  
  
She handed him the plate and Draco ate its contents quickly and drank a few goblets of juice. He didn't notice, though, that Jesabelle got up and walked into her room, closing the door softly behind her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The weekend went by quickly and it was back to the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
One night, Jesabelle was sitting in the common, struggling over her Astronomy homework, when Malfoy came back from Quidditch practice. He went into his room, washed up and pulled on a pair of black boxers and a green shirt.  
  
He left the common room to still find Jesabelle pouring over her Astronomy homework. She seemed to not have noticed him. Draco crept around and sat next to her.  
  
"Need some help?" he asked.  
  
Jesabelle looked up from her book and said, "Oh, no, I'm fine, thank you."  
  
"You've been reading that same page for the past thirty minutes Jesabelle." Draco said, "What do you need help in?"  
  
"It' just these stupid star patterns the Professor assigned us." Jesabelle said. "Like how are we supposed to know when they would and would not appear in our night sky?"  
  
"Well, actually, it has a lot to with our weather and the eclipses that take place near earth." Draco said. "You can read more about it in this book I found in the library." He handed her a, red, leather-bound book; there must have been about eight hundred or so pages in it.  
  
"Don't you need it for your homework?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"No, I already did mine before Quidditch practice." Draco said.  
  
"Thanks." Jesabelle said, gathering her things up and heading to her room. Draco stood up as well, as thought afraid she might still be weak and fall over from the effort of walking.  
  
"Oh and Draco," she said, putting her things down on a table, and suddenly hugging Draco. "Thanks, for saving me and everything. It means a lot, my friend."  
  
Draco smiled. As awkward as the situation was at the present, he liked it. He pulled her closer to him and said. "Anytime, my friend."  
  
She pulled away from him, picked up her things and heading to her room, smiling warmly at him before closing her door, leaving him dumbstruck and confused.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle was sitting at her desk, staring at her already finished homework. Her thoughts kept straying back to Draco.  
  
"Why did I just hug him?"  
  
~Because you are feeling an attraction towards him.~  
  
"No, that's not possible."  
  
~Why not?~  
  
"Weren't you just telling me to watch my back a little while before all this happened?"  
  
~You were actually listening to me for once?~  
  
"Yes, I was."  
  
~Oh, that's a surprise.~  
  
"Are you my conscience or a hypocrite?"  
  
~Both actually.~  
  
"Just get on with what you have to say on the matter."  
  
~Just lay low, don't try anything until things start to pick up. Just be careful, you don't want to get hurt again.  
  
"All right, I will, thanks."  
  
~I'll always be here, just holler.~  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco sat on a couch, staring into the fire, thinking to himself.  
  
"She just hugged me right?"  
  
~She just hugged you.~  
  
"No way."  
  
~Yup, she hugged you.~  
  
"Why?"  
  
~Um, maybe because you saved her life~  
  
"Oh yeah right, I kind of forgot about that."  
  
~You seem to be forgetting about lots of things.~  
  
"And why do suppose that happens?"  
  
~Because your mind keeps straying back to Jesabelle, that's why.~  
  
"I have feelings for her."  
  
~Yes, you do.~  
  
"But, I don't want to hurt her."  
  
~Listen, it's really up to you on what you want to do from here. It could have just been a friendly hug and nothing more.~  
  
"But, on the other hand, it could have been a hug of thanks and possible attraction."  
  
~That too.~  
  
"I don't blame her. I always was so damn sexy."  
  
~Get over yourself.~  
  
"I was just joking."  
  
~I know. I just want to tell you to take things slowly. You don't want to hurt her again, ever.~  
  
"No.....I don't."  
  
Yeah I know kind of a weird and possibly boring chapter but hey, at least I updated! Just to let you all know, or remind you, that the little dialogue said here ~""~ are the characters' consciences. And the regular quotations with dialogues are the characters themselves. So there you go! Please read and review! ^_^ 


	14. The Imperius Curse

Okay yeah, hi everyone. Here's chapter 14!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; I only own my characters and my own plot.  
  
Chapter 14: The Imperius Curse  
  
For the next few weeks since the time of the Halloween Ball, everyone was upbeat. Jesabelle was beside herself with joy when she found out that Harry and Ginny were dating. Her plans had worked, and in the best way possible.  
  
Harry and the others were eating breakfast when Hermione's usual Daily Prophet owl flew in to deliver her paper. She paid it and scanned the front page.  
  
"Oh no." Hermione whispered to herself.  
  
"What is it Hermione?" Neville said, leaning over to her to look at the paper in her hand.  
  
"Looks at this." Hermione said, placing the paper in the middle of the table for everyone to see.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Death Eaters Sighted Near Village's Premises  
  
A small band of Death Eaters were sighted near the village of Hogsmeade yesterday night.  
  
"There were about three of them, dressed in black, making their way to the more deserted part of the village." Claims Diana Addleby, who was looking out her window and spotting them that night. "They seemed to be in a real hurry, not really bothering to be careful not to be seen."  
  
Addleby immediately reported the sighting to the Ministry, but, by the time Ministry officials arrived at the scene, there was no sign of the Death Eaters left. As a safety measure, Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, set up trained aurors around the village and sent others to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to help build up a guard.  
  
Many people ridiculed his judgment, saying that he was over-reacting to what could be a false alarm. Fudge himself replied to this saying,  
  
"Even though this may be a false alarm, just the fact that they were possibly sighted in the first place is enough evidence we need. These trained aurors were sent the safety of the citizens, and especially the children of the two locations."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"More Death Eaters." Ron said.  
  
"Sighted." Ginny replied.  
  
"Nearby Hogsmeade." Harry said.  
  
They all turned to each other. Harry held Ginny close and Ron did the same with Hermione. They all looked at Jesabelle, who was deathly pale and holding her fork, her hands shaking, staring at her goblet.  
  
Harry put a hand over her left, holding it in his own.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked.  
  
Jesabelle nodded and got up.  
  
"I need to go now, I'll see you all at class." She said and quickly exited the Great Hall.  
  
Harry and the others looked at each other, their worry evident on their faces.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They all assembled in the classroom to wait for Tonks to begin the day's Defense Against the Dark Arts class.  
  
Harry and the others sat in desks around Jesabelle, who was still pale from the morning, which somewhat surprised them, since it was already afternoon and it was the last class of the day, and she was still pale.  
  
"Hello yet again class." Tonks said from behind the desk that lay at the front of the classroom.  
  
The class greeted her and she continued.  
  
"I suppose most if not all of you have read the article in the Prophet concerning the sighted Death Eaters." She paused.  
  
Draco, as in the back of the room, looked at Jesabelle, who was still pale. He had been thinking about her the whole day, worrying about why she was so pale. He was trying to get her out of his mind, but to tell you the truth, he was failing miserably.  
  
"Now is the time where you all have to stick together." Tonks continued. "We wouldn't want anymore accidents and such to happen here at Hogwarts. I think we have had enough of the adventures." She paused and looked at Harry and the others.  
  
"At least for now, until everything has died down." She grinned at Harry. She knew what he was thinking when it came to the adventure part. "But still, I encourage you all to stay out of trouble. No late night rendezvous, and no cursing in the hallways." She paused again. "But please, let us all remember that we are all one team, and as a team, we really have to watch out for each other. Even though, " Tonks added, seeing the looks on the Slytherins' face, "we are in different houses and we have our own individual differences."  
  
She stopped for a while, letting the class reflect on what she had just said. She just hoped that it sunk in before anyone got hurt.  
  
A few moments later, she smiled her big smile at the class and said, "All right! Enough of the little gloomy lecture I gave you, now on with the class!"  
  
Everyone smiled slightly and started taking out their books.  
  
"Oh no, dears. You wouldn't be needing those for this class." Tonks said.  
  
They all put their books away and took out only their wands, looking around at each other curiously.  
  
"Seeing as things have been taken to the next level in this so-called war, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, has granted Headmaster Dumbledore to allow me to teach the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh years the Imperius Curse." Tonks said.  
  
The room instantly filled with excited, confused, and curious whispers.  
  
"The Imperius Curse? Are they mad?" Ron asked the others.  
  
"Apparently they think it may help in the long run Ron." Hermione said.  
  
"But what if the students use it against others?" Ginny asked.  
  
"To perform the Imperius Curse to harm another and not under the circumstances of self defense is punishable by law." Hermione said.  
  
"Unless the person who was using it against another student threatens the victim into not telling anyone." Luna said.  
  
"True, but we can still use it up to our advantage." Harry said, while Neville and Jesabelle nodded in agreement.  
  
"All right everyone settle down, settle down." Tonks said over the growing volume of noise. "I know you all are wondering why they have decided to let me teach you this."  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"Well, they all think that if you are ever be in danger, and negotiations, and spells begin to fail, the Imperius Curse may come in handy during that time. But," Tonks said louder as the class began to chatter again, "you are forbidden to use it against another student, unless you absolutely, absolutely, have to. To use this curse against another can land you in suspension. And worse, it can land you in Azkaban."  
  
The chatter immediately died after Tonks had said her last statement.  
  
"So please, we greatly discourage the use of the Imperius Curse out of class. Is that understood?" Tonks said to the class.  
  
They nodded again and Tonks clapped her hands saying, "Okay, now that we have set that aside, I know most, if not all of you have seen Professor Moody, who was later discovered as Barty Crouch's son, perform all three Unforgivable Curses in front of you right?"  
  
They nodded.  
  
"And I understand that he used spiders as live examples, yes?" Tonks asked the class again.  
  
Again they nodded their heads. Jesabelle noticed Ron shift uneasily at his desk, which was in front of her, when Tonks mentioned spiders.  
  
Harry, who was sitting on her right, leaned a bit towards her and whispered in her ear, "Ron's greatest fear is spiders. Kind of funny really, if you know how to mess with him a bit sometimes."  
  
Jesabelle smiled amusedly and Harry grinned, easing back into his chair.  
  
"So then, I don't expect you all to get it in just one try. In fact, I don't really expect you to get right at all today." Tonks said thoughtfully. "But we'll give it a whirl. Now, I want you all to go into groups, two minimum, eight maximum. You know the spell, Imperio. Now go on! I'll walk around a bit to make sure you are doing it the right way."  
  
Harry and the others gathered into one group and went to the back of the classroom.  
  
They all had a try on each other but none of them got it right. After Ron had failed in making Neville cry using the curse, it was Jesabelle's turn to give it a try.  
  
"Who should I try this on?" Jesabelle asked. The color was beginning to return to her face, and now it just looked like she put a little too much powder on her face.  
  
"I know who you should try it on." Ron said, grinning evilly in Malfoy's direction.  
  
"Ron!' Hermione said. "We're not supposed to use it on other students."  
  
"That's out of class Hermione." Ron said. "And we are IN class. We'll just tell Tonks that Jesabelle had bad aiming."  
  
"Great excuse Ron." Jesabelle said sarcastically.  
  
"What?" Ron asked.  
  
"Your excuse makes me look bad, that's what." Jesabelle said. "But I have to admit, I am in the mood for harassing Malfoy, even if it lands me in another detention, I'm willing to go for the amusement of it." Jesabelle said, looking at Malfoy.  
  
"See Hermione. It's a fool proof plan!" Ron said proudly.  
  
"Well, it's your choice, not mine. Besides, I have to agree, harassing Malfoy never ceases to amuse me." Hermione said, smiling.  
  
"Wicked!" Ron said.  
  
"Bloody hell Hermione." Neville said, smiling at her. "Ron really has gotten to you."  
  
'I'm just agreeing because for all we know, Jesabelle might not be able to do it. I mean, even I couldn't do it. But still, I guess it's worth a try." Hermione said.  
  
The others nodded in agreement and Jesabelle turned to Draco. For a moment she hesitated. The others thought she would not do it, when suddenly Jesabelle raised her wand, pointed it at Draco and said, "Imperio!"  
  
Draco stood still and stared into space.  
  
"Dance." Jesabelle said firmly, concentration etched across her face.  
  
Draco began to break dance. The rest of class saw what was happening and gathered around to watch.  
  
"Stop." Jesabelle said.  
  
Draco stopped.  
  
"What's going on here?" Tonks asked as she pushed her way through the crowd.  
  
"Jesabelle just performed the Imperius Curse!" Dean said excitedly.  
  
"What?" Tonks asked incredulously.  
  
"She really did Professor." Seamus said. "Show her Jesabelle."  
  
"Draco," Jesabelle said, "I want you to repeat after me."  
  
The class looked at Draco.  
  
"I want you to say, my father's name is Lucius Malfoy." Jesabelle said.  
  
"My father's name is Lucius Malfoy." Draco said with no emotion, as if in a trance.  
  
"Good. Now say, my mother's name is Narcissa Malfoy." Jesabelle said.  
  
"My mother's name is Narcissa Malfoy." Draco repeated.  
  
Tonks gasped.  
  
"Now I want you to turn to Harry and his friends, bow your head, and apologize for everything that you have done to them for the past six years." Jesabelle said more firmly.  
  
Draco turned to Harry and the others, bowed his head, and said, "I apologize Harry, to you and your friends for the things I have done to you all for the past six years that we have been going to Hogwarts together." Draco said, with a hint of emotion.  
  
"My goodness." Tonks said.  
  
Jesabelle brought her wand down, releasing Draco from the spell.  
  
Draco blinked once, brought up his head and looked around at the crowd, and then at Jesabelle, who was standing to his left.  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
"Jesabelle placed you under the Imperius Curse." Tonks said, her hand over her mouth.  
  
Draco looked at Jesabelle.  
  
"How is that possible?" he asked. "Only Death Eaters and more skilled wizards know how to perform that curse."  
  
"True." Tonks said. "Even I cannot fully well perform the Imperius Curse."  
  
At this statement the class began to whisper to each other, giving Jesabelle weird looks.  
  
"How can you do it, Jesabelle?" Tonks asked, turning to her.  
  
"I don't know." Jesabelle said nervously.  
  
The class was silent for a while and then the bell rang, signaling the end of class.  
  
"All right everyone. Class is over. We will try this again in our next meeting." Tonks said as everyone gathered their things and began to exit the classroom. "Jesabelle, could I please speak with you after class?" Tonks said as Jesabelle picked up her things. "Do not worry; it will only take a minute."  
  
Jesabelle swallowed hard and smiled nervously at Harry and the others as they exited the classroom.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others waited outside the classroom for Jesabelle to come out. She had already been in there for five minutes, and they were starting to get a bit worried.  
  
"What do you think Tonks wanted to talk to her about?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I don't know." Luna said.  
  
"Maybe she's going to get in trouble!" Neville said. "Maybe they're questioning her!"  
  
"Calm down Neville." Hermione said. "Tonks probably is questioning her. But don't worry; I'm sure she'll be fine."  
  
Just after Hermione finished, Jesabelle came out. She wasn't pale, nor did she look like she had just gotten in trouble. She was just..worried.  
  
"How did it go Jesabelle?" Harry asked as the others gave her concerned looks.  
  
"Huh?" Jesabelle asked, as if shaking herself out of a dream, "Oh fine, fine, Harry, it's all right. I have to go up to the Heads' Dorm. I'll see you all later." And with that she headed up the stairs.  
  
"You guys can go down to dinner, I'll talk with Jesabelle." Harry said and followed Jesabelle up the stairs as the others went down to the Great Hall. Confused and concerned at the same time.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Jesabelle! Hey Jesabelle!" Harry screamed behind Jesabelle's retreating form.  
  
"Yes Harry?" Jesabelle said, stopping so that he could catch up.  
  
When Harry caught his breath and was standing beside her, she began walking again, and at a quick pace.  
  
"What happened with you and Tonks?" Harry asked, keeping up with her pace.  
  
"Nothing, she was just asking me questions about how I performed the spell, so it could help in her future classes." Jesabelle said calmly.  
  
"But you didn't look proud or anything like that, when you left the classroom, you looked worried." Harry said.  
  
Jesabelle stopped in front of the Heads' portrait and rubbed her forehead with her right hand. "Please Harry, can we not have this conversation right now?" she asked him, almost sounding like she was begging him.  
  
"Something's up with you, and you're not saying a word about it. We need to have this conversation right now." Harry said forcefully.  
  
Jesabelle muttered the password and walked in. Harry grabbed her hand.  
  
"Jesabelle, tell me, what is going on with you?" Harry asked.  
  
"Nothing!" Jesabelle said forcefully, pulling her hand out of his and closing the portrait behind her.  
  
Harry just stood there, staring at the portrait, stressed about the scene that had just taken place.  
  
He sighed loudly and said to himself, "Jesabelle, what is wrong with you? What aren't you telling me?"  
  
I am so sorry to everyone who have been patiently waiting for this! I have been having a really tough time getting to a computer to finish and post this, not to mention that I have been kind of sickly for the past week. So I am terribly sorry again and thanks a bunch to all of you that have been reviewing.  
  
Please read and review!  
  
The White Princess 


	15. Christmas

Okay, yeah I know everyone has probably been waiting for a chapter that had all the fluff and love and everything. Well then, here it is!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters; they belong to J.K Rowling. I only own my own characters and this plot.  
  
Chapter 15: Christmas  
  
After the scene with Jesabelle, Harry just decided to skip dinner and head up to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
About twenty minutes later, Harry and the others gathered around in a secluded spot in the common room next to the fireplace and Harry told them about what had happened with Jesabelle.  
  
"Something's wrong with her, I know it." Harry said, exasperated.  
  
"We can't force her to tell us what's wrong." Ginny said.  
  
"I suppose, but it's really bothering me that she doesn't even want to say anything." Harry said. "Doesn't she know that I love her? I would do anything to help her out if she needed it."  
  
"I'm sure she knows you love her mate." Ron said comfortingly. "You would do anything for her and she would do anything for you as well. But I think this is the time where we should just let her handle things on her own. At least until she's ready to tell us what's going on."  
  
"You know Ron's right, for once." Neville said.  
  
Harry laughed lightly and smiled at the others. "Thanks guys."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Weeks passed and soon it was Christmas. Harry and the others were still worried about Jesabelle, but things continued on like normal and everyone was overjoyed where Christmas holidays came.  
  
"I can't wait to get back to the Order." Harry said to the others.  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna were going to go to Number 12 for Christmas to visit the Order. They were all gathered in the boys' dorm to ensure that no one would overhear their conversation.  
  
"Same here." Hermione said.  
  
"You should come along Jesabelle." Ron said.  
  
"Yeah." Ginny said. "Everyone would love to meet you in person!"  
  
"I would love to but I shouldn't leave the castle." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Why not?" Neville asked.  
  
"Dumbledore asked me to stay here." Jesabelle replied. "To tell you the truth, I don't even know exactly why."  
  
"It's too bad." Harry said. "You want me to stay behind with you?"  
  
"Oh no," Jesabelle said, laughing lightly, "you haven't seen them for ages! It would nice for you to see them again."  
  
The others smiled at her and Neville punched her shoulder affectionately, telling her that she spoiled Harry, receiving a laugh from her in return.  
  
They continued talking about random things and soon, Jesabelle had to head back to the dorm.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others left three days before Christmas, and Jesabelle felt a little lonely until she discovered that Draco was also staying for the holidays. She had avoided him since the Imperius Curse incident in Defense Against the Dark Arts. But, it seemed more like HE was avoiding HER, much to the amusement of Harry and the others.  
  
It was 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve. Jesabelle walked out of her bedroom wearing gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt that showed her belly.  
  
Draco was in the common room, reading a book, wearing his Hogwarts trousers, his chest uncovered.  
  
Jesabelle blushed slightly and she sat in an armchair across from him and reached for the books she was reading about dark curses from the small table between them.  
  
"Good evening Jesabelle." Draco said conversationally, making her jump slightly.  
  
"Good evening Draco." Jesabelle said. "Listen, about Defense Against the Dark Arts,"  
  
"It's all right." Draco said, interrupting her. "I'm just surprised that you were able to perform the curse."  
  
"Well, when your father was a death eater and you mother was a double agent for the Ministry you could find some interesting books on curses in my home." Jesabelle said, searching for the page where she stopped reading.  
  
Draco gave her a weird look, of which she didn't notice.  
  
"Why didn't you go home to spend some time with you mother for the holidays?" Draco asked, putting his book down and looking at Jesabelle, who had begun to read the books she was flipping through.  
  
"Oh, well you see," Jesabelle said, closing the book, "my mum's dead."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." Draco said.  
  
"It's all right, you didn't know." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Did your father kill her?" Draco asked.  
  
"No, but he's the reason she's dead." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Do you know who killed her?" Draco asked.  
  
"Well, this death eater murdered her when I was eleven, but my mother hid me, so I never saw who the killer was." Jesabelle said.  
  
Draco nodded and sat back on the couch, sighing to himself, greatly hoping that his father was not Jesabelle's mother's killer. He was one of the top on Voldemort's list, and had killed many death eaters, and there was a high possibility that he was the one who killed Jesabelle's mother. He sighed again; it would really kill him if his father was the one who took Jesabelle's mother away from her.  
  
Jesabelle sighed and looked into the fire, lost in thought.  
  
"What was your mother like?" Draco asked, shaking Jesabelle out of her train of thought.  
  
"She was great." Jesabelle said. "She could never really get much for me, since we were always on the run, but she tried her best to always get what I wanted."  
  
Draco could see the sadness on her face and it broke his heart.  
  
"We used to exchange presents on Christmas." Jesabelle continued. "I would always work my butt off to make her something different every year. I remember the last Christmas my mother and I had together, I made her a rag doll." She laughed softly. "Even though one arm was shorter than the other and the eyes were each a different color, she still loved it all the same, and always held it to her when she slept."  
  
She paused. Draco could tell she was trying hard not to cry, for her face was scrunched up and her eyes were watery.  
  
"Every Christmas, we'd always bake Gingerbread cookies and eat them with warm milk. And then we'd eat what was left of them in front of the fire that same night, exchanging stories and talking about what I would do when I got older." Jesabelle said, sniffling, the tears rolling freely from her eyes. "She'd always tell me that she loved me, and that when this was all over, she'd send me here, where she went to school, and we could have a normal life again."  
  
She looked at her hands. Draco didn't really know what to do, so he just sat there, and felt his heart break again.  
  
"A pity." Jesabelle said. "As a Potter, life really wasn't as normal as we wanted it to be."  
  
"You must really miss her." Draco said, getting up, and kneeling in front of her.  
  
"I think about her everyday." Jesabelle said softly.  
  
Draco took her hands in his and kissed them. "Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to mourn her death; she would have wanted you to live the life she would have wanted you to live. She would have wanted you to be happy." Draco said.  
  
She looked at him. Their eyes were level with each other. He wiped her tears away and stroked her cheeks. She smiled at him.  
  
"Thank you." She said.  
  
Draco felt his heart melt at her smile. Man, he was really starting to get soft. He smiled back and embraced her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle woke up early the next morning to find herself in Draco's arms on the couch in the common room.  
  
Not wanting to wake him, she slowly pulled herself out of his grasp and went into her bedroom.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco woke up to find Jesabelle gone. Worried, he pulled on his Hogwarts blouse, buttoned it up, tucked it in, and went to check if Jesabelle was in her bedroom.  
  
"Jesabelle?" Draco asked knocking on her door. When there was no answer, he walked into the room to find it empty.  
  
He searched for her for two more hours all over toe castle. With no luck, he decided to go to the kitchens. He stopped in front of the picture of the bowl of foot, reached up, and the tickled the pear with his finger, It turned into a doorknob and Draco pulled it open and walked into the kitchens, being met by enthusiastic house elves.  
  
"Is Dobby here?" Draco asked.  
  
The others scuttled away and Dobby walked over the Draco.  
  
"Is Mr. Malfoy wanting something?" Dobby asked.  
  
"Dobby," Draco said, "I need a favor."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
An hour later, Draco walked back into the Heads' dorm with a red and green striped paper bag.  
  
He walked over to the window and looked outside, wondering where Jesabelle was. Then he felt cold wind blow against his left arm. Draco turned around. There were no windows open. How could the wind get in?  
  
He searched around the book shelf nearby and discovered the wind was coming from behind one of them. He pulled it back to rind stone steps leading up to a secret tower. Curious, he followed the steps up as quietly as he could and soon he found Jesabelle sitting on the sill of a stone window a few steps below a door that led to a small balcony of the tower.  
  
He watched her for while behind a corner, the paper bag in his hand. She was wearing a cream colored v-neck shirt underneath a black coat, with dark blue denim jeans and socks. Her hair hung upon her face and an occasional breeze blew it. A look of sadness was etched across her face.  
  
Draco felt his heart break again. He knew she was thinking about her mother. And it was in that moment, while watching her, that Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, realized something. He was in love with Jesabelle Potter. He had been trying to fight this feeling for so long. And then at that same time, he was scared, not for himself, but for her. His father was still in Azkaban, but Voldemort would get him out. And if he discovered that he had fallen in love with a Potter, he would furious.  
  
"Stop it Draco. You shouldn't be afraid of your father, you are a grown man now, and you can make your own choices."  
  
~For once I agree with you.~  
  
"But father is powerful; he can get to her in ways that even I couldn't figure out."  
  
~But your father isn't here now.~  
  
"But,"  
  
~No buts mister, you love her, and you know she feels for you as well. Now go for it. It is better to have loved and lost than to never have love at all.~  
  
"Alfred Lord Tenneson said that."  
  
~Yeah he did, and he's right.~  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle stared out into the snow covered grounds. It was so peaceful up there. She loved it. The atmosphere helped her think. She missed her mother a lot, especially now, on Christmas. But that wasn't the only reason why she was up there. She was trouble about something else.  
  
"Bloody hell."  
  
~What is it this time my dear?~  
  
"Do you think that I am love with Draco?"  
  
~It is very possible, and it think you are.~  
  
"But I'm scared."  
  
~Everyone is when they reach this level in life.~  
  
"But if he doesn't think feel the same way."  
  
~I don't know if you've noticed, but have you seen the way he's looked at you lately?~  
  
"I have."  
  
~Then I think you should take the chance. Trust me, I think this one is worth putting your heart on the line.~  
  
"I've trusted you before. You have never led me astray."  
  
~Nope, I haven't. When it came to the thing with Blake, you shut me out so, nope, I haven't lead you astray.~  
  
"Yeah. Thanks."  
  
~No problem.~  
  
"I wish my mother was here."  
  
~So do I.~  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco continued to watch her, while still fighting his internal battle. Suddenly, he saw tears run down Jesabelle's face. He couldn't take it anymore. He felt his heart break again. He just wanted to run up to her and hold her in his arms, whispering sweet nothings into her ear and kissing away the tears. He inhaled deeply and walked to her.  
  
"You know, it isn't a good thing for one to spend Christmas by themselves." Draco said softly, so she could hear, walking up the steps and standing in front of the sill.  
  
"Draco." Jesabelle said, trying to wipe away her tears.  
  
"Listen, I know this isn't much, but I got something for you." Draco said, handing her the red and green striped paper bag.  
  
Jesabelle turned so she was in a sitting position and said, "Oh Draco, you didn't have to."  
  
"It doesn't matter, I wanted to get you something special." He said.  
  
Jesabelle smiled and opened the paper bag to find freshly baked gingerbread cookies, still warm, despite the cold weather. Jesabelle looked up at Draco, tears in her eyes, setting the bag aside.  
  
"Thank you." She whispered.  
  
"Listen," Draco said, "I know I can't really replace your mother for Christmas. Come to think of it, I don't think I want to try."  
  
Jesabelle laughed.  
  
"But I want to give you the best Christmas I can give." Draco said.  
  
"Why?" Jesabelle asked, tears still streaming down her face.  
  
"Because....I love you." Draco whispered lifting her chin up.  
  
Jesabelle stared at him. He loved her. He loved her. It was all she thinking of.  
  
Draco looked deep into her eyes. Just looking at them made his heart warm up. He leaned forward and placed his lips on hers.  
  
Jesabelle couldn't concentrate. All she could focus on was Draco's warm lips against her, his tongue coaxing her to let him enter. She willing opened his mouth to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss.  
  
Draco couldn't believe it, she was letting him in. He pulled her closer to him, her warmth grazing his body.  
  
His warmth, his kiss, his smell, everything about him was intoxicating her and they continued to search each others' mouths.  
  
She pulled away from him, breaking the kiss. She could tell he was disappointed.  
  
"I love you too." She whispered, before pulling him back to her.  
  
They stayed that may for what seemed to be like hours, but it was merely minutes, sharing a moment they knew they would never forget.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Harry and his friends won't like this." Draco said.  
  
They were sitting in front of the fire, Jesabelle sitting comfortably between his legs, wrapped in a blanket, the gingerbread cookies and goblets of milk on their left side.  
  
"I know, but it's worth taking the risk, right?" Jesabelle said, quietly.  
  
"Of course. I'd risk anything for you." Draco said, kissing her forehead.  
  
"I know, and I would do the same for you." Jesabelle replied, leaning against him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco watched Jesabelle, who had fallen asleep in his arms yet again. He just wanted to hold her like this forever, with no care in the world about what others thought about them. It was at this time that he made a promise. He promised himself that he would always love Jesabelle, and he would always protect her, no matter what. HE would always hold her forever, and make sure that she was always happy. He promised himself that, if the time came, he would risk his life, just for her.  
  
He loved her, and he would do anything, and everything, if it made her the happiest woman in the world.  
  
There you go! Sorry I have taken so long! Stay tuned for Chapter 16!  
  
Please read and review! Thanks! ^_^ 


	16. The Doubts of Those Closest To You

Yay! I'm finally moving a lot faster than the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed that last chapter. Anyways, here's Chapter 16!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the characters taken from the stories. I only own my own original characters and plot.  
  
Chapter 16: The Doubts of Those Closest To You  
  
Christmas passed, January passed, and soon it was February. Draco and Jesabelle had been very careful about hiding their relationship, only being able to enjoy each other's company in the privacy of the Heads' Dorm.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They were all once again in Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid had let them work with the Jarveys again, along with their partners.  
  
People were too busy with their own Jarveys to realize that Draco Malfoy and Jesabelle Potter were working together as a team.  
  
Draco had walked over to Hagrid to discuss the Jarveys' eating habits and patterns. He had begun to give Hagrid a lot more respect, pout of his own will, which pleased Hagrid a lot more than he would let on.  
  
Jesabelle was writing a few notes about their Jarvey in her notebook when she realized that her Jarvey had gotten past the gate somehow and was making its way towards the Forbidden Forest. She sighed loudly and quickly followed after it.  
  
The Jarvey was about seven feet ahead of Jesabelle and was already bringing her within the forest itself. Jesabelle thought of stunning it, but she was afraid she and Draco would have points taken off for attacking their Jarvey. She was seriously starting to think about jinxing the thing when it suddenly stopped at a clearing.  
  
Jesabelle slowly came around and looked up to find her face to face with ten to fifteen thestrals. A shock of electricity much have been shot between the two of them. The thestrals looked her in the eye and suddenly, one of them neighed, and, as if in fear, they all began to charge for her.  
  
Jesabelle let out a scream, grabbed the Jarvey and quickly ran through the forest, the thestrals hot on her trail.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco had returned tot eh back of the class and was looking around for Jesabelle and the Jarvey. Suddenly, Jesabelle's scream pierced the air and everyone looked around for the origin of the sound.  
  
Draco began to panic. Had his father already found out about their relationship? Was she in trouble? Where is she? Is she even still alive?  
  
While all this was going through his head he didn't notice that, throughout the chaos that had erupted from the class when Jesabelle was discovered to be missing, that Hermione noticed the expression n his face, and, Hermione being Hermione, figured out that he was more worried than his face would give on.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle kept running through the forest, trying to find a way out of the brush, the thestrals close behind her. She suddenly ran out, and saw Hagrid's hut ten feet away. She threw her Jarvey in the hut's direction and continued to run.  
  
She could hear her classmates' screams as she went on. She had only gone a few steps before she tripped over. She had just enough time to look at the thestrals, their eyes full of anger and fear, before she was pulled out of the way and thrown out of the path, being shielded from the thestrals that had nearly trampled her and began to run faster, taking off into the sky.  
  
She looked up at the person on top of her and instead of seeing Harry, whom she expected was the one who saved her, she saw Draco.  
  
"Draco." She said, surprised.  
  
"You all right?" he asked, still on top of her.  
  
"I'm fine." She whispered.  
  
But before Draco could reply, he was pulled off Jesabelle and the next thing she saw was Harry's face.  
  
"Jesabelle!" he said.  
  
"Harry." She replied.  
  
Harry pulled her up. "Are you all right?" he asked, looking around her robes to see if there were any injuries.  
  
"No Harry." Jesabelle said, "Besides a few small scratches, I'm fine."  
  
"Thank goodness you're all right." Harry said, hugging her tightly. Jesabelle saw Draco standing a bit away from the crowd, an unreadable expression across his face.  
  
"I don't think you should only be thanking goodness Harry." Jesabelle said gently, pulling herself out of Harry's embrace. "I think you should be thanking Draco as well. If it hadn't been for him, I would probably have been, well, road kill, so to speak."  
  
Harry looked into Jesabelle's eyes and then turned around, heading towards Draco, the crowd parting to let him through.  
  
He stopped in front of Draco, a sincere expression across his face. Draco looked back at him pleasantly, not the trademark Malfoy pleasantly in which the expression would always say "I'm going to get what I want", but the type of pleasant expression you would see one a person's face when one was greeting a good friend.  
  
The crowd watched them in silence. No one had ever seen Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy stand so long looking at each other without a word said, or a fist thrown.  
  
A minute later, Harry reached out his hand towards Malfoy. "Thank you Malfoy, very much." He said sincerely.  
  
"You are very welcome Harry." Draco said as the bell rang and Hagrid dismissed them.  
  
Draco smiled nicely at Harry and let go of his hand, making his way up to the castle.  
  
Harry stood there, dumbstruck, as the others picked up their things from Hagrid's hut.  
  
"Harry?" Ginny said, standing in front of him, waving her hand in front of his eyes, for he had been "spacing out".  
  
"Huh? Oh, yes Ginny?" Harry said, shaking his head slightly.  
  
"Here are your things." Ginny said, handing Harry his backpack.  
  
"Thanks Gin." Harry said.  
  
Ginny smiled and Harry and the others made their way up to the castle.  
  
"Can you believe that?" Ron suddenly said after a few moments of silence. "Malfoy just called you by your first name Harry!" he continued, astonished.  
  
"Quite the unbelievable." Luna said thoughtfully.  
  
"Still think he's up to something?" Jesabelle asked Harry.  
  
"Of course I do!" Harry said in reply. "This is just more proof to support my theory!"  
  
"Harry Potter!" Jesabelle screamed. "You are absolutely hopeless!"  
  
Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise as Jesabelle again walked away from them, heading towards the stairs, most likely going up to the Heads' Dorm.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
That night after dinner, when the common room was almost empty, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny were talking about the sudden events that took place that day.  
  
"Something is definitely up with both Malfoy and Jesabelle." Ron said, sitting in an armchair.  
  
"True." Hermione said.  
  
"She has been acting strangely lately." Ginny said. "You know, being more and more distant, especially since we came back from the Christmas holidays. But she hasn't said anything to me or Hermione about it. And I asked Luna earlier at dinner if Jesabelle said anything to her, but she hadn't said anything to Luna either."  
  
"You think she's hiding something? Neville asked.  
  
"It's a possibility." Hermione said. "I don't doubt it."  
  
"But what could she be hiding?" Ginny said.  
  
"Haven't you noticed that we don't know her that well?" Neville said, receiving confused looks and a long silence. "I mean think about it." He continued. "We only know so little about her parents. She never told us where she was born or where she was living before she came here. She didn't say anything else about her other school. We only know so little about her and the rest is just one big secret that she doesn't want to tell."  
  
"What are you implying?" Harry suddenly asked, startling everyone.  
  
"I'm just saying that we should be careful." Neville said. "Since we only know as much about her as she would let on, we shouldn't give her too much trust or information."  
  
"Are you trying to say that Jesabelle could be fighting on Voldemort's side?" Harry asked, getting up.  
  
"I'm not trying to say that Harry." Neville said calmly, while Ginny gently pushed Harry back down into his chair, "I'm just saying that there is a high possibility that she could be a dark agent working undercover with some polyjuice potion like in our fourth year with Professor Moody."  
  
"But the alert for things like that has been raised Neville." Ron said, "Dumbledore would have sensed something like that."  
  
"But he didn't sense it in our fourth year." Hermione said.  
  
"Oh not you too Hermione." Harry said, frustrated.  
  
"I'm no necessarily siding with Neville, but he has a point. We should be careful around her. You'll never know." Hermione said defensively.  
  
"Besides that though," Ron said, "I've been hearing strange things about her as well."  
  
"What kind of things Ron?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Well I heard from Ernie, you know, the Hufflepuff, that on his prefect midnight shifts, he always runs into Jesabelle."  
  
"What would Jesabelle be doing out so late at night?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Well Ernie tells me that before he could say anything about it, Jesabelle would always give him a piece of parchment from Dumbledore, stating to anyone who sees her out at that time that she was allowed, since she had meetings with him or something for some reason or another." Ron said.  
  
"Meetings with Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah, that's what Ernie said, and he's not one to lie." Ron said.  
  
"This is just plain frustrating." Harry said.  
  
"It gets worse." Hermione said. "Well in your opinion, it gets worse."  
  
"What do you mean Hermione?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well remember today, when Malfoy rescued Jesabelle from the thestrals?" Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah, it was the time when he called me by my fist name." Harry replied.  
  
"A time that we shall never forget." Ron said.  
  
"Well I don't know if you have noticed but since the Christmas holidays, Draco and Jesabelle are acting a little comfortable around each other." Hermione said.  
  
"Comfortable!" Harry said, his temper beginning to flare.  
  
"Calm down Harry." Ginny said firmly, "Let Hermione finish."  
  
"What do you mean by comfortable Hermione?" Neville said.  
  
"Well, I guess you could say that whenever they look at each other, and I have caught them doing that a lot, they always have this warm affection in their eyes. I mean it was so strong that even I felt it. And yes, Ron," Hermione said, seeing Ron open his mouth, "I saw Draco returning Jesabelle's gaze with as much emotion. Good emotion I might add."  
  
"He had better not be touching her." Harry said, clenching his fists.  
  
"I don't think se Harry." Ginny said. "I agree with Hermione, I have seen the gazes, rather sweet if you really think about it. But that's beside the point. What Hermione would be suggesting is that they could be in a relationship."  
  
"A relationship!" Harry said, losing control. "A relationship! With Malfoy!"  
  
"It's possible." Hermione said as Ginny tried to keep Harry quiet.  
  
"But then again," Neville said, "she's a lot smarter than that."  
  
"Neville's right, again." Ron said. "Jesabelle knows that there is a lot of enmity between us and Malfoy, she knows it would be suicide to get in between that."  
  
"That's right Harry." Ginny said. "Jesabelle's smarter than that. She could be keeping it secret but don't you think that based on her personality she would feel terribly guilty for keeping something this big from us?"  
  
"I suppose you're right." Harry said.  
  
"Now Harry don't you go talking to her about it either." Hermione said. "We need more proof if we're going to talk to her about this. And we need a strategy, so she doesn't go all ballistic on us." Hermione said.  
  
Harry only just grunted in reply and Ron got up and suggested they go up to bed.  
  
Hermione stayed behind alone in the common room for a while, staring in the fire. Before heading up she took one last look around.  
  
"Oh Jesabelle," Hermione whispered to herself, "please forgive us for doubting you." Then she headed up to her dorm, feeling, if possible, guiltier than she was when they first began their conversation.  
  
Yay! *Does the victory dance* I'm finished!  
  
Anyways again I am terribly sorry that I have been taking so long to post up my chapters lately. But I promise I will try my best to work faster and harder for you.  
  
Again thank you for your reviews!  
  
Stay tuned for Chapter 17, where more things are discovered, and some things are revealed!  
  
Please read and review!  
  
^_^ The White Princess ^_^ 


	17. The Accusations of Those Closest To You

Hello everyone. I'm still having some problems with finding a computer to work on and I've been having a lot of stuff to do lately so, you know, I'm taking a while with each chapter.  
  
Anyways, I don't want to bombard you all with my lame excuses and I'll just give you the chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the other characters. I only own my own original characters and my own plot.  
  
Chapter 17: The Accusations of Those Closest To You  
  
Jesabelle sighed and rubbed her temple. She was in the Heads' Dorm on a Saturday night, sitting on a couch, finishing her Care of Magical Creatures essay.  
  
Draco, who was sitting beside her, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and whispered, "What's wrong, love? Need help with the essay?"  
  
"No Draco." Jesabelle said, "Thank you."  
  
"What's wrong then, you seem to be on the edge lately." Draco said.  
  
"It's just..." Jesabelle began, but stopped.  
  
"It's just?" Draco asked.  
  
"It's just hat ever since that day during class when you saved me from the thestrals, of which I am very thankful, I have this really bad feeling that Harry and the others might suspect something." Jesabelle said.  
  
"That's been what I have been thinking lately as well." Draco said.  
  
"I'm scared." Jesabelle said.  
  
Silence filled the room for a few seconds before she continued.  
  
"I love Harry, and I love you. I don't want to lose Harry, but I also don't want to lose you." Jesabelle said. "I need the both of you."  
  
"Family matters a bit more than the ones you love." Draco said. "It must really hurt you."  
  
"What? What must really hurt me?" Jesabelle said.  
  
"It must hurt knowing that somewhere along the way in this war, there is a possibility that you will have to choose between Harry and I." Draco said.  
  
"It does. But, I don't want to face it." Jesabelle said.  
  
"I know, love, but I want you to promise me something." Draco said.  
  
"What?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"I want you to promise me that if the time comes, and you do have to choose, choose Harry, and not me." Draco said.  
  
"Why?" Jesabelle asked, aghast.  
  
"Harry means more to you and the world than I could ever be." Draco said, trying, but failing to hide his sadness.  
  
"You mean everything to me." Jesabelle said, stroking his cheek with the back of her hand. "I could never promise you such a thing."  
  
"Then just promise me one thing." Draco said.  
  
"What?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Promise me that if for any reason we are separated in this oncoming war that you will wait for me until I come back." Draco said.  
  
"Now that I can promise." Jesabelle said, smiling.  
  
Draco smiled as well and held her closer, the two falling asleep in each other's embrace.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~'  
  
It was a Monday night and Jesabelle was heading out of the Great Hall after dinner when Professor McGonagall came out of a nearby room.  
  
"Good evening Professor." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Oh, hello Ms. Potter." McGonagall said pleasantly. "I'm sorry but, could you do me a favor?"  
  
"Of course Professor." Jesabelle said.  
  
"All right, well, could you go down to the dungeons to Professor Snape's office and tell him that I need to speak with him privately in my office as soon as possible tonight?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"Oh sure Professor." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Thank you very much." McGonagall said, smiling at her and heading up the stairs.  
  
Jesabelle went through a door leading to the dungeons and set off on her errand, unaware that someone was following her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and Ron watched as Blake rise from his seat at the Ravenclaw table, and head out of the Great Hall after Jesabelle.  
  
"I don't like him." Harry said.  
  
"Neither do I Harry." Ron said.  
  
Then they looked around again and saw Draco rise up and head out of the Great Hall after Blake.  
  
"Now this just enough." Harry said and got up, Ron following him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle was heading back from Snape's office when she heard something behind her. She stopped, and turned around, wand in hand.  
  
Then Blake stepped out from the shadows.  
  
"What do you want Marshall?" Jesabelle asked, her wand still pointed at him. He was only two feet away, but Jesabelle already had a run in with him not too long ago, and she wasn't about to take her chances when she was ready to fight back if she had to.  
  
"Oh you know what I want." Marshall said seductively, looking her up and down.  
  
"Sod off!" Jesabelle said.  
  
"Oh come one Jesabelle." Marshall said, taking a step forward, making Jesabelle step back. "Don't you want to have some fun."  
  
"Not with the likes of Marshall." Jesabelle said, "It wouldn't be worth it. I'm surprised none of the girls tried to kill you when you were asleep. But then again, you always did sleep with the most stupid sluts you could find."  
  
"Watch it Jesabelle." Marshall said. "Like Parker, I know your secrets."  
  
"Yes, yes, I know." Jesabelle said, anger rising, "You're just mad because you can't have the last virgin you were aiming for, and that's me. So if you want some, you're going to have to fight your ass off for it!" Jesabelle said.  
  
"Oh I'm sure that can be done swiftly, love." Marshall said, smirking.  
  
Jesabelle felt a chill go up her spine, but before she could act, a shout came from behind Blake.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" the voice said, shooting Marshall into the wall, knocking him unconscious again.  
  
Jesabelle looked for the source of the voice and found, to her relief, Draco, his wand pointed out in the direction of the heap of Marshall at the side.  
  
"You all right Jesabelle?" Draco asked, stepping on top of Marshall's body and hugging Jesabelle.  
  
"I'm fine, thank you." Jesabelle said, leaning on him for support. She may have put on a straight and determined face, but she was afraid of Blake for a bit there, and Draco could tell.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and Ron silently followed Draco's retreating back through the dungeons, being careful to stay a good distance from him, just in case.  
  
A few seconds later, they lost him.  
  
"Darn!" Ron said.  
  
"Where do you think he went?" Harry asked, looking around for a door Draco could have gone through without their knowing.  
  
"I don't know." Ron said.  
  
Suddenly, they heard Jesabelle's voice, then Blake's, then Draco's. Startled, they ran through the hall, following the voices.  
  
They were nearly there, when they stopped at a corner, hearing Jesabelle's voice, and then surprisingly, Draco's.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"He nearly tried to rape you again." Draco said.  
  
"Please don't bring the subject up." Jesabelle said, her voice shaking slightly.  
  
Harry and Ron were at corner, their eyes widened in surprised.  
  
"You didn't tell Harry and the others about it, did you?" Draco asked.  
  
"I'm ashamed." Jesabelle said.  
  
"You shouldn't be. If you told them before, you wouldn't have been alone down here. Knowing Harry, he would have followed you around, or have someone else follow you at intervals like bodyguards. I myself would have told Crabbe and Golye to follow you, but I knew it would be too risky. If we didn't have to keep this whole relationship secret, I would have teamed up with Harry and we would have jumped Marshall and beat up into a bloody pulp." Draco said.  
  
If possible, Harry and Ron's eyes were bugging out worse than ever.  
  
"I know, I'm sorry Draco." Jesabelle said.  
  
"We should head up before anyone finds out that I attacked Marshall here. But Lord knows he deserves it." Draco said, giving Marshall a kick in the ribs.  
  
But before they could continue on, Harry and Ron stepped out from the corner and stood in front of them, wands up. Both were as angry as ever, and Ron was already turning a deep shade of red, almost as red as his hair even. Seeing Draco holding Jesabelle close to him protectively only made them angrier.  
  
"Get you bloody hands off her." Harry said.  
  
"Harry," Jesabelle began.  
  
"Not now Jesabelle, you have a lot of explaining to do." Harry said, cutting her off and giving her a glare than almost made her cry. As strong as she was, she was sensitive.  
  
"And you Malfoy," Ron said, "are to keep your distance."  
  
Jesabelle looked at Draco. He nodded and let her go. Jesabelle followed Harry, who had turned around, down the hallway. Ron gave Draco a disapproving look before retreating as well, leaving Draco behind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry, Ron, and Jesabelle walked in silence up to the Gryffindor common room. Harry gave the password and the three of them walked in. Everyone was occupying themselves with their homework that the only people who noticed their entrance were Neville, Hermione, and Ginny.  
  
"We need to talk." Harry said before Hermione could open her mouth. "Let's go up to the Boys' dorm for privacy."  
  
They all nodded and followed Harry up the stairs.  
  
Thankfully, when they entered, there was no one there. Hermione closed the door behind her and put some locking and silencing spells on it.  
  
Harry and Ron remained standing as Neville, Ginny, and Hermione sat down on Harry's bed. Jesabelle remained standing, avoiding Harry and Ron's eye.  
  
"What's going on?" Ginny asked, looking from her boyfriend, to her brother, to the girl she considered as family.  
  
"Well it turns out that we followed Malfoy and Marshall down to the dungeons and found that Marshall had tried to rape her a little while ago, and that she didn't want to tell us." Harry said.  
  
"Oh, and did we mention that Jesabelle and Malfoy are having a secret relationship?" Ron said, spitting out Draco's name like it was poison.  
  
Hermione covered mouth, Neville's mouth hung open, and Ginny paled slightly.  
  
"Rape?" Hermione asked.  
  
Jesabelle nodded.  
  
"And you're having a relationship with Malfoy?" Neville asked softly.  
  
Jesabelle nodded again.  
  
"How come you didn't tell us about what happened?" Ginny asked.  
  
Jesabelle sniffed and looked at her with pleading eyes saying, "I was scared."  
  
"BUT YOU WEREN'T SCARED TO TELL MALFOY!" Harry yelled.  
  
"Harry clam down!" Hermione said, startled at Harry's sudden outburst.  
  
"WHY SHOULD I CALM DOWN?" Harry yelled again.  
  
"Let her explain herself Harry." Ginny said.  
  
"THAT'S BECAUSE DRACO SAVED ME HARRY!" Jesabelle screamed back.  
  
"SAVED YOU?" Harry asked, "SAVED YOU?"  
  
"When did all of this happen?" Hermione asked, anxious to keep the two cousins from lashing out at each other.  
  
"It was during the Halloween Ball." Jesabelle said.  
  
"That long ago?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes. I was fixing Harry up with Ginny, and I suddenly started to hear voices in my head." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Voices?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I heard mostly screams." Jesabelle said, shaking. "I decided that my job was done and headed up to the Gryffindor Tower. But I didn't know that Marshall was following me." Jesabelle continued, tears pouring out of her eyes.  
  
"And then?" Neville asked gently.  
  
"He cornered me in an empty classroom. My sight was foggy, and I couldn't find my wand. I couldn't fight back. He was too strong." Jesabelle choked out, hugging herself. "And then Draco blasted through and saved me. Then after I traded dorms with Hermione, things just sort of picked up."  
  
"This was since Christmas, wasn't it?" Ginny asked.  
  
Jesabelle nodded.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Harry yelled again.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry," Jesabelle began again.  
  
"DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE SORRY. MALFOY AND HIS FAMILY ARE THE SOLE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE COMPLETELY AGAINST!" Harry said.  
  
"I know Harry." Jesabelle said, but it was no use.  
  
"IT'S BECAUSE OF HIS FATHER THAT GINNY HAD TO FACE VOLDEMORT, WE'RE JUST LUCKY THAT SHE'S ABLE TO LIVE A NORMAL LIFE, EVEN YEARS AFTER THE ENTIRE ORDEAL!" Ron suddenly screamed.  
  
"RON, HARRY, PLEASE!" Jesabelle said.  
  
Harry and Ron were both redder than ever now. They were both so angry that Ginny, Hermione, and Neville stood up, just in case they had to hold anyone down.  
  
"MALFOY IS JUST GOING TO USE YOU!" Harry said. "HE'LL USE TO GET TO ME! THEN HE'LL JUST KILL YOU WHEN HE'S FINISHED. HE'S ONLY USING YOU FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL BENEFIT AND PLEASURES!"  
  
"HE'S NOT LIKE THAT HARRY!" Jesabelle yelled back.  
  
"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT FOR SURE?!" Harry yelled. "I COULD LOSE YOU TO HIM. DON'T I MATTER TO YOU AT ALL?"  
  
"I LOVE YOU HARRY WITH ALL MY HEART BUT I LOVE DRACO TOO!" Jesabelle yelled, sobbing.  
  
And with that statement, the entire room went quiet.  
  
"ARE YOU TELLING US THAT, THAT, GIT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN HARRY IS?" Ron yelled at Jesabelle.  
  
"NO IT'S NOT LIKE THAT RON AND YOU KNOW IT!" Jesabelle said.  
  
"OH DO I?" Ron asked. "IT'S LIKE WE DON'T KNOW ANYMORE JESABELLE!"  
  
"WHAT?" Jesabelle yelled.  
  
"WE'VE HEARD THINGS JESABELLE." Ron yelled, "DISTURBING THINGS! LATE NIGHT MEETINGS! CHANCED GLANCES! EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU JUST ONE BIG MYSTERY. FOR ALL WE KNOW, YOU COULD BE SERVING VOLDEMORT, ALONG WITH MALFOY, PASSING ON INFORMATION. PLOTTTING TO KILL US ALL!"  
  
At the end of that statement, everyone knew that he had gone too far. Hermione began to shed tears while Ginny just stared at him wide eyed.  
  
"SERVING THE DARK LORD?" Jesabelle asked. "WHY SHOULD I SERVE HIM?"  
  
"I DON'T KNOW JESABELLE, YOU TELL US!" Harry yelled.  
  
"DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE HIM, HARRY?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"AT THE MOMENT, THIS SEEMS LIKE THE MOST SENSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR EVERYTHING." Harry yelled.  
  
"BUT, BUT." Jesabelle stuttered.  
  
"NO BUTS JESABELLE. MALFOY IS GOING TO HURT YOU. HE'S GOING TO BREAK YOUR HEART AND YOU KNOW WHAT?" Harry yelled, "I DON'T THINK I'M GOING TO WANT TO OFFER YOU ANY COMFORT WHEN THE TIME COMES."  
  
That was the statement that hit home. Hermione wasn't crying anymore, and Ginny wasn't wide eyed; now the both of them were angry. Neville remained calm and tried to hug Jesabelle comfortingly, who was now crying hysterically, but she pushed him away and ran out of the room, her face in her hands.  
  
Neville stared after Jesabelle, sadness etched across his face. Ron stared after her as well, and then at Harry, whose expression had fallen. His anger had ebbed away, and now the only expression that could be read from both Ron and Harry was just one, guilt.  
  
Hermione and Ginny had their fists clenched, both looking like they were going to explode. They both gave Ron and Harry disapproving looks before walking out of the open door and slamming it behind them.  
  
Harry and Ron cursed under their breath. Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Now he had really done it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
There! How's that for an edge of your seat chapter! Again sorry I took so long! Hope you enjoyed it.  
  
Please read and review!  
  
Coming up on Chapter 18: What will Harry and the others do about the whole Jesabelle and Draco situation? What will Jesabelle and Draco do about it themselves? And what's with all of Jesabelle's secrets?  
  
Stay tuned for Chapter 18 where another one of Jesabelle's secrets are revealed! 


	18. A Mutual Understanding

Hey everybody! Okay, here's Chapter 18!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
Chapter 18: A Mutual Understanding  
  
Jesabelle kept running and running. Out of the Gryffindor Tower, past suits of armor, going up higher and higher, until she ran through the door of the Southern Tower and collapsed on the stone floor of the balcony.  
  
She continued sobbing and sobbing, Harry's words running through her head. The way he looked, the way he screamed, the way he looked at her. It was all just too much.  
  
She didn't know how long she was laying there until a cold voice rang in her head.  
  
"See what happens when you run away, Jesabelle." The cold voice said.  
  
"No, not you, please, not you." Jesabelle cried.  
  
"Oh but it is me darling. Come home, no one loves you anymore." The voice said again.  
  
"No!" Jesabelle yelled into the night air.  
  
"No one loves you anymore." The voice rang out, louder this time.  
  
"No!" Jesabelle yelled again. "Draco still loves me."  
  
"How much longer will he love you?" the voice asked. Jesabelle listened more carefully, realizing that it was a male voice. "He could be playing you like a card."  
  
"No, I refuse to believe you." Jesabelle said. "He will always love me."  
  
"Oh really?" the voice asked sarcastically. "Do you think he will still love you after he finds out about your deepest, darkest secrets?"  
  
"What he doesn't know, cannot hurt him, or me." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Yes, but the truth has its ways of revealing itself." The voice said.  
  
Jesabelle closed her eyes tightly as cold laughter rang through her head.  
  
"STOP!" Jesabelle screamed, and suddenly, the laughter subsided. Jesabelle looked around, shakily standing herself back up. She inhaled deeply and walked back down the tower.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She did not know how she managed it, but she made her way slowly down the floors of the castle, and found her way back to the Heads' Dorm.  
  
Seeing who she was, the portrait swung open, allowing her in, even though she did not give a password.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco looked at his watch. It was 9:00 p.m. He looked out the window. Jesabelle had not returned from her "talk" with Harry and the others.  
  
Draco sighed heavily. He knew that Jesabelle was getting the full blow for the whole "secret relationship" situation. It greatly irritated him that he couldn't just barge into the Gryffindor Tower and pull her away from Harry and hide her from him. To shield her from his wrath.  
  
He was about to get up from the couch to search the castle for her when the portrait opened and Jesabelle stumbled in, pale as a ghost.  
  
He hurried over to her, catching her just in time. Draco's eyes widened. She looked terrible. She was mumbling something. Draco pulled her up and held her face in his hands.  
  
"Jesabelle." Draco said. "What's wrong? What happened?"  
  
Jesabelle stared at him for a long time and began to sob again uncontrollably.  
  
"They yelled at me." Jesabelle said, looking down, shaking again.  
  
"Who?" Draco asked, knowing the answer.  
  
"Harry and Ron." Jesabelle whispered.  
  
"What about the others?" Draco asked.  
  
"I don't know." Jesabelle said. "They accused us, me, of serving Voldemort. Of being a death eater!" Jesabelle yelled.  
  
Draco held her close, brushing her head with his hand.  
  
"They said you would hurt me. That you were using me for own personal advantages. They said that you would were going to kill me when you were done with me!" Jesabelle choked out, leaning on Draco's shoulder.  
  
"Do you believe that?" Draco asked, pulling her away from him and locking her eyes with his.  
  
"No. But I'm scared. The voice.." Jesabelle trailed off.  
  
"What voice?" Draco asked.  
  
"Nothing." Jesabelle quickly said.  
  
Draco looked her over and just dropped the subject. But he knew that there more to this than meets the eye. But he decided to just take care of Jesabelle for now, and then press the subject a bit later.  
  
~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle was still shaking, despite the comfort she felt in Draco's arms. She thought she shut that voice out a long time ago, after she had escaped. She hated it, everything. She wanted to run. The voice was right. Draco would leave her once he found out about her secrets. She shook her head mentally. She tried to hold on to the hope that she had.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco carried Jesabelle and brought her to her room, laying her down on the bed. She lay there for a while and a few minutes later, she fell asleep. Draco pulled the covers over and her and kissed her forehead.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco knew that she had to face Harry and the others alone. He knew that if he tried to step in, he would make things worse. Plus, he knew that she was struggling with more than just the problem she had with Harry. He knew there was a deeper meaning to her sorrow, but he also knew that pressing the subject would be useless. She always kept things about her past a big secret. It sometimes irritated him that she did not tell him everything about what happened, but then again, it really wasn't his choice to make, it was hers.  
  
But there were more pressing matters at hand for Draco. He had received a letter from his mother earlier that night, explaining that Voldemort was secretly planning to get his father out of Azkaban. No details, just the message, just in case the letter got intercepted.  
  
Draco had burned the letter, but its message was burned into his brain. If his father was going to get out, then he knew that his newfound freedom would soon end. Even worse, that he would find out about Jesabelle, and the bond they shared. And that was one of the things that scared Draco the most. Jesabelle was a Potter, and she was fighting against Voldemort. He knew that this would anger his father. But, he thought, he had other things to worry about for now, like Jesabelle.  
  
He sighed and looked at Jesabelle's sleeping form.  
  
"I love you." Draco whispered to her and retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
What he didn't realize, though, was that Jesabelle was still awake. She had just closed her eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks when Draco left the room. She couldn't risk him or Harry, or the others getting hurt. All the people she loved she had lost. She wasn't about to let that curse catch up with her again.  
  
She turned to her side and looked out at the moon, crying herself to sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and Ron sat at the edge of Harry's bed, Neville standing by.  
  
"Now we have really done it." Neville said.  
  
"No Neville." Harry said. "It was only my fault."  
  
"And mine." Ron whispered.  
  
The door opened and Hermione and Ginny walked in, followed, surprisingly, by Luna.  
  
"What is she doing here?" Neville asked.  
  
"We went over to her house and brought her here. Seeing as she is also a good friend of Jesabelle's, she deserved to know about what had just happened here." Hermione said.  
  
"So you told her everything?" Harry asked.  
  
"Every single detail." Hermione said, emphasizing each word.  
  
The boys sighed.  
  
"That's it!" Ginny said suddenly. "I can't take it anymore!"  
  
"Ginny, please," Hermione began.  
  
"No Hermione!" Ginny said, cutting her off, "I can't hold it in anymore. I have to say it, or I'll start throwing things!"  
  
"Go ahead Ginny." Luna said, while Hermione locked the door again, placing more spells on it. "They deserve it."  
  
"All right then." Ginny said, taking a deep breath. "YOU STUPID GITS! YOU COULD NEVER, EVER LET ANYONE BE HAPPY FOR ONCE COULD YOU! I MEAN WE ALL KNOW THAT SHE HAD A HUGE MYSTERIOUS PAST, BUT ACUSSING HER OF ACTUALLY SERVING VOLDEMORT? HOW THICK CAN YOUR HEADS BE?" Ginny yelled. "INSTEAD OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO HEAR HER OUT, YOU SHOOT HER DOWN, AS IF SHE WERE SOME COMMON CRIMINAL!"  
  
"Is that it?" Ron asked, looking up at her.  
  
"Just for now." Ginny said, lowering her volume.  
  
"I think we deserve more than that." Harry said.  
  
There was silence that followed this statement. Ginny sat down in front of Harry.  
  
"We know you were scared for her." Ginny said, taking Harry's hands in hers. "We all are. But she knows what she's doing. She's strong. Stronger than both you and Ron put together."  
  
Hermione, Luna, and Neville nodded in agreement.  
  
"Even you must have noticed Draco's change in behavior." Ginny continued, "Jesabelle did that, at least, she did most of it."  
  
"But it's hard." Ron said.  
  
"We know Ron." Luna said, "Malfoy has been so awful to us for so long that our judgment was clouded. Draco really has changed."  
  
"We all know that Draco is a pain in the butt at times, even now. But we also know that Jesabelle loves him. And, as her family, we should try to accept that." Neville said, "Besides Draco, we're the only thing she has left. And even though you try to deny it, Harry, letting go of Jesabelle because of this would hurt you as much as it would hurt her."  
  
"The best thing we can do is to try and understand." Hermione said. "No matter how long it takes us."  
  
"We have to apologize to her." Ron said.  
  
Harry slowly nodded. "For Jesabelle."  
  
"For Jesabelle." Ron repeated.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle woke up early the next morning. It was only seven in the morning. She got out of bed, got dressed, and headed to the Great Hall with her books. It was a Tuesday. Jesabelle usually liked Tuesdays, but the night's events kept replaying in her head, causing her blood shot eyes to tear up again.  
  
Jesabelle inhaled deeply and walked into the Great Hall, surprised to see Harry at the Gryffindor table, poking at some scrambled eggs. There were roughly only twenty other people in the Great Hall. Jesabelle thought about skipping the meal, but her stomach grumbled in protest.  
  
She sighed and walked into the Great Hall, being careful not to look at Harry when she seated herself at the Gryffindor table, putting as much distance as possible from Harry.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry could not sleep, and when the seven o'clock rolled around, he just got out of bed, fixed himself up, and headed down to the Great Hall to think and possibly get a bite eat, though he did not have an appetite.  
  
He was thinking about what he would say to Jesabelle. She would probably still be very down about the night before. He even thought that she's fake sick just for the day so she could recuperate.  
  
He was stabbing at his eggs when Jesabelle walked in, not looking at him, trying to keep her face straight, but Harry could tell that she was hurting, and felt a pang of guilt.  
  
He decided he might as well do it now, for seeing her sit there by herself hurt him so much he was going to burst.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry got up from the bench and sat down in front of her.  
  
Jesabelle pretended not to notice, but she knew that it was Harry who was sitting in front of her, probably to accuse her of some more false things. Surprisingly, even to herself, she was not angry with him, she was just sad that he did not try to let her talk, to explain herself the night before.  
  
"Morning." Harry said.  
  
"Morning Harry." Jesabelle said monotonously.  
  
"Listen, can we talk?" Harry asked.  
  
Jesabelle looked up at him from her plate and into his eyes. They were filled with apology. Jesabelle slowly nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry about last night." Harry said. "I didn't try to let you talk, I didn't hear you out. I didn't even try to understand. I even accused you of something you were not."  
  
"I'm sorry." Jesabelle said.  
  
"For what?" Harry asked.  
  
"For being a traitor, for loving Draco." Jesabelle said.  
  
"I don't blame you for loving Mal-Draco." Harry said, taking Jesabelle's hands in his.  
  
"You really are trying." Jesabelle said.  
  
Harry smiled. "I am willing to put aside my hatred for Draco, because you love him. I mean, he must be a really great person if you fell in love with him." He said, squeezing Jesabelle's hands affectionately. "Ron and I willing to try to understand, if you'll forgive us."  
  
Jesabelle smiled and tears formed in her eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked.  
  
"Positive. But I'm willing to bet that it's going to take a while." Harry said jokingly.  
  
Jesabelle cried tears of joy and hugged Harry from across the table.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The others walked in to find Jesabelle and Harry laughing about something an hour later. But soon, they were all laughing and enjoying themselves.  
  
Draco walked in to see them all at the Gryffindor table, enjoying their breakfast. He smiled; things were already beginning to get a bit better.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Everyone was at the Great Hall at lunch. Harry was hurrying there from Potions, when he saw Draco ahead.  
  
"Hey Draco!" Harry said.  
  
Draco turned around, surprised at being addressed by his first name by Harry himself.  
  
"Good afternoon Harry." Draco said.  
  
"Listen," Harry said. "I'm willing to forgive you for all of things you have done to me and my friends. But you have to give me something in return."  
  
"Done." Draco said.  
  
"I just want you to love Jesabelle and take care of her. I know that it will be difficult because of your father. But just try your best and love her." Harry said.  
  
"Of course Harry." Draco said.  
  
Harry held out his hand and Draco shook it, sealing the agreement between them.  
  
If there was anyone around, the event would have been historical. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had done something that no one would have ever thought would be done. They had reached a mutual understanding.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I know, I was supposed to reveal another one of Jesabelle's secrets, but I found that this chapter was already long enough. I hope you all enjoyed it.  
  
Please read and review!  
  
Coming up on Chapter 19: One of Jesabelle's secrets will now be revealed. 


	19. The Growing Hunger for Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 19: The Growing Hunger for Blood  
  
After Harry and Draco's mutual agreement, things began to improve between them and the others.  
  
It took Harry, Ron, and Neville quite the while to get used to this new formed friendship with Draco, Ron, of course, being the most stubborn. But in a few weeks time, the new change between them was definitely noticeable, and word about Jesabelle and Draco spread around the school.  
  
"Hello Jesabelle." Lavender said one afternoon during lunch.  
  
"Hello Lavender." Jesabelle said, looking up from her last minute homework.  
  
"Is it true that you and the Slytherin hottie are going steady?" Lavender asked.  
  
"The Slytherin hottie?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Draco Malfoy silly!" Lavender said.  
  
"Oh. Yes, I could say that." Jesabelle said.  
  
"You're so lucky." Lavender said.  
  
"Thanks Lavender." Jesabelle said. "I guess I am."  
  
On the other side of the table, Seamus and the other Gryffindor seventh year boys were talking to Harry, Ron, and Neville.  
  
"So things are pretty smoothed out between you guys and Malfoy?" Colin Creevey asked.  
  
"Yeah." Harry said.  
  
"I don't see how you guys can just forgive him for everything so quickly." Seamus said.  
  
"We didn't forgive him completely." Ron said.  
  
"Yeah, we're just, you know, being friendly. Besides, he's not as bad as most people would think. The only reason why he was so rotten is because of his father anyways." Neville said.  
  
"How do you know it's not just an act?" Seamus asked.  
  
"Well Jesabelle seems to trust him, so if she can see that side of him, then we're trying to see that side as well." Harry said, as he saw Jesabelle and Draco leaving the Great Hall together, laughing.  
  
"We just want her to be happy, that's all, so we're doing our part." Ron said, also seeing the tow leave.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was midnight, beginning another Sunday. Hogwarts was asleep as Jesabelle snuck out of the Heads' Dorm, heading towards Dumbledore's office.  
  
She had been a bit on the edge lately, despite how good things have been going; she couldn't be happier.  
  
But, as she walked along the corridor, she couldn't ignore the hunger she was feeling.  
  
She leaned on the wall, fighting against her hunger. She was so hungry. She knew how this hunger felt like; she had been fighting it with the potion Dumbledore gave her ever since the beginning of the school year. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but the hunger was starting to already cloud her will.  
  
She groaned, her eyes darkening. She was so hungry. So hungry. Hungry for blood.  
  
She heard footsteps nearby and hid behind a statue. She could smell it; fresh blood.  
  
Blake Marshall turned the corner, looking around for any prefects or teachers who might be patrolling. He was going to meet Parker in the kitchens to discuss something. What they were going to discuss, he didn't know.  
  
Jesabelle eyed him; eyed his exposed neck. Its creamy, pale flesh. She wanted to sink her teeth into it.  
  
Blake was walking closer to the statue. Jesabelle couldn't resist the hunger anymore, and jumped out from behind the statue, pouncing on him.  
  
"What the?" Blake said, before falling on the floor, Jesabelle on top of him.  
  
If only she could get a taste of the blood beneath that innocent neck.  
  
Jesabelle tried to bite him, but Marshall, pushed her back, making her land on her butt, causing her to bare her teeth and growl.  
  
"Potter!" Marshall said, not sounding surprised, pulling himself to his feet. "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"I need blood!" Jesabelle screamed, trying to lunge at him again, knocking him down, and holding his wrists with one hand. It was a good thing that her species had super strength.  
  
Marshall, began to scream, and not the kind of manly scream you'd expect, but the kind of scream that makes it sound like his voice was cracking, he sounded pathetic.  
  
Jesabelle struggled and held his wrists with one hand, covering Marshall's mouth with her hand.  
  
"Stop screaming or I will kill you." Jesabelle said menacingly.  
  
Marshall's eyes widened and continued to struggle underneath Jesabelle.  
  
Jesabelle was inching her mouth closer to Marshall's neck. She was so close, so close to quenching the hunger that had been steadily growing within her.  
  
Her teeth were about to pierce his skin when she was pulled and thrown at the wall, knocking her out.  
  
Marshall got up shakily, looking ahead, and seeing that the man who had rescued him was Draco Malfoy.  
  
"You all right Marshall?" Draco asked as Hermione and Ginny turned the corner, out of breath. They had heard all the raucous and ran in the direction of the noise.  
  
"What does it look like Malfoy?" Marshall snapped, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "I was handling things well on my own."  
  
"Sure didn't sound like it, I mean, you know, the way you were screaming." Draco said, smirking as Ginny and Hermione reached them.  
  
"What happened?" Hermione asked.  
  
"She attacked me." Marshall said.  
  
"Who?" Hermione asked.  
  
"That question is about to be answered." Malfoy said, making his way towards the unconscious Jesabelle, whose body was face down on the floor.  
  
"She might attack you." Marshall said, backing away slightly as Ginny stood a bit behind Draco, her wand ready, just in case.  
  
Draco bent down, turned he rover, and gasped.  
  
"Jesabelle?" Ginny said, bending down.  
  
Jesabelle's hair was a mess, blood on her lips, her mouth slightly open.  
  
"Jesabelle?" Hermione asked, quickly walking over.  
  
Draco remained silent, looking her over, he had hurt her. She looked upon her mouth and realized the sharpness of her fanged teeth.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Hermione yelled.  
  
"Oh gods, look at this." Draco said, opening Jesabelle's mouth wider, so they could see her teeth.  
  
"Fangs." Ginny said.  
  
"Fangs?" Hermione asked.  
  
"That means, that" Ginny began.  
  
"Jesabelle is a vampire." Marshall said.  
  
They all turned around and stared at him.  
  
"But how?" Hermione asked.  
  
"There's not time for questions, we have to take Jesabelle to Madame Pomfrey." Draco said, lifting Jesabelle's body up, and carrying it in his arms. "Ginny, call Harry, Neville, and Ron, they might want to know about this. Hermione, you call Dumbledore. And you Marshall, are coming with me." Draco continued.  
  
Ginny and Hermione nodded, heading down the corridor.  
  
Marshall stood still for a second then, seeing Draco's serious look, he walked towards the direction of the Hospital Wing, Draco following, and Jesabelle in his arms.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny raced into the Gryffindor Tower, surprised to find that Ron, Neville and Harry had gone to bed early.  
  
She raced up the stairs and into the boys' dormitory, rushing first to Ron's bed, his being the nearest.  
  
"Ron! Harry! Neville! Wake up!" Ginny yelled, shaking them both awake.  
  
"What happened?" Harry said, sitting up quickly.  
  
"It's Jesabelle." Ginny said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry, Neville, and Ron, lead by Ginny, burst into the Hospital Wing as Madame Pomfrey returned to Jesabelle's bedside with a vial of tonic, while Dumbledore was speaking with Marshall, Hermione, and Draco.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Harry said, rushing over to the bed.  
  
"Don't worry Mr. Potter." Madame Pomfrey said. "She's just unconscious."  
  
"What happened?" Harry asked, looking at Dumbledore, who had made his way to the foot to the bed.  
  
"Wait." Ron said, opening Jesabelle's mouth slightly, baring her teeth.  
  
"Vampire fangs?" Harry said, leaning over to get a closer look.  
  
"Yes, Harry, as I was just about to explain, Mr. Marshall here was walking down the corridors after hours when he says that Jesabelle came out of nowhere and attacked, saying that she needed blood." Dumbledore said.  
  
"So what does that mean?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
"She's a vampire, Harry." Hermione said.  
  
"But how?" Harry asked in disbelief, "She can survive in sunlight."  
  
"You can ask her all of those questions when we decide to wake her." Dumbledore said.  
  
Madame Pomfrey allowed them to stay for as long as they wanted, and they took some chairs and sat around the bed, Draco holding Jesabelle's right hand.  
  
"Wait, how come we can't wake her up now?" Ron asked, looking at Dumbledore.  
  
"You see Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore began, "Madame Pomfrey here has just given Jesabelle a type of potion that will ensure that she will not attack us lest she wakes up before we plan to wake her."  
  
"You knew about this, didn't you, Headmaster?" Neville asked.  
  
"Yes, I did actually." Dumbledore said, and they all recognized the all too familiar twinkle in his eyes.  
  
"That's why Jesabelle has been going to those late-night meetings!" Ginny said.  
  
"And that's why she's been taking that weird potion." Harry said.  
  
"That's right, that potion was to ensure that her natural hunger for blood was controlled." Dumbledore said. "It was a measure we had to take to ensure the students' safety, so that she won't bite anyone and turn them into a vampire like herself."  
  
They stayed there in silence for about an hour, contemplating this new turn of events, when Jesabelle began to stir.  
  
"Don't worry." Dumbledore said, for Harry and the others withdrew cautiously, "She's waking up at the right time, things should be all right now."  
  
Jesabelle stirred again, a groan escaping her lips, and then suddenly, her eyes snapped open. She looked around, her eyes taking in the whole room, Harry, Draco, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore, and Marshall.  
  
"What happened?" Jesabelle asked, trying to get up.  
  
"Don't try to get up Jesabelle, you need to rest." Draco said.  
  
"But, what?" Jesabelle said.  
  
Then suddenly, she remembered. The hunger, attacking Blake, someone, or something knocking her out. Her teeth.  
  
Jesabelle lifted her right hand and opened her mouth, touching her fangs. She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.  
  
"I attacked someone, didn't I?" Jesabelle asked opening her eyes and looking at Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes, Jesabelle, I'm afraid you have." Dumbledore said.  
  
Jesabelle sighed.  
  
"Are you all right Marshall?" Jesabelle asked, looking at him.  
  
"Just giddy, Potter." Marshall said sarcastically.  
  
"All right Mr. Marshall." Dumbledore said. "You may leave now. Poppy, could you please escort Mr. Marshall here back to his house?"  
  
"Of course Headmaster." Madame Pomfrey said, walking out the door, followed by Marshall.  
  
"You're a vampire?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?" Draco asked.  
  
"Because there has been a lot of prejudice towards vampires lately." Jesabelle said.  
  
"How can you survive sunlight and eat stuff with garlic then?" Ron asked.  
  
"I was bitten by a vampire when I was five. Unfortunately, my mother and I were not able to get a potion to stop me from turning in time. I was bitten by a new breed of vampire that was experimented on by some wizards in northern Britain." Jesabelle said. "The potions they used on him enabled him to survive sunlight, eat foods with garlic substances, while still maintaining super-strength and agility."  
  
"So you didn't tell us," Draco began.  
  
"Because I was afraid that word would spread somehow, and people would regard me as some sort of freak. That's what happened at my old school, which is why I came here after the school year was over." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Dumbledore accepted you." Ginny said turning to the Headmaster, who smiled at her.  
  
"Yes, but on a few conditions." Jesabelle said. "One, I must never attack anyone."  
  
"But how have you been able to hide the hunger?" Draco asked. "There were many opportunities for you to bite me."  
  
"Well, that's where the potion comes in." Dumbledore said. Everyone looked at him, and then looked at Jesabelle again as she spoke.  
  
"Yes. Professor Snape was able to produce a potion that enabled me to control my hunger and other vampire senses, enabling me to become completely harmless. The only reason why I was not able to control my hunger was because I had to see Dumbledore and restock, but I freaked out before I got there." Jesabelle said.  
  
The others looked at each other.  
  
"I know it might be a bit uncomfortable at first and I completely understand if you can't accept it." Jesabelle said. "If fact, when I first began to realize the changes I was going through physically, and emotionally, I wasn't able to understand it either." She looked sadly at the others.  
  
"Don't worry Jesabelle; it's just one of those things that we preferred that you told us." Harry said.  
  
"Besides," Neville said, "I find vampires very fascinating."  
  
The others smiled at this and they continued to talk about other things.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The others left around 8:00 A.M. to get some breakfast, since Jesabelle insisted that they shouldn't get hungry. Dumbledore had already headed back to his office two hours ago, and Madame Pomfrey was currently in her office, speaking to Snape about Jesabelle's potion. Draco had refused to go down to breakfast and just sat by Jesabelle's bed, holding her hand in his.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Jesabelle whispered. "I just didn't think you'd be able to understand."  
  
"I know love." Draco said. "It doesn't change things though, I still care about you. There is no difference between the human Jesabelle and the vampire Jesabelle, right?" he asked jokingly.  
  
"No, there isn't." Jesabelle said, smiling.  
  
Draco smiled back and kissed her forehead.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
There you goooooo! I finally finished Chapter 19! I'm sorry that it took so damn long! I am really really really sorry! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please read and review!  
  
Coming up in Chapter 20: Jesabelle's inner demons begin to catch up with her and she and Draco might take things to the next level. 


	20. The Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 20: The Dream  
  
Jesabelle was allowed to return to her dormitory later that Sunday, allowing her to finish all of her homework and talk and spend time with Draco.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
School started up again and homework was piling even higher these days for the seventh years, considering that their N.E.W.T.s was drawing near.  
  
Jesabelle was in her bedroom, wearing some boxers and a plain white T- shirt, writing some notes in a notebook on her bed from her History of Magic book.  
  
"Honestly." Jesabelle whispered to herself, "That Binns never gives us a day of peace. He's just angry that he couldn't back into his body. Frankly, I think it wouldn't make much of a difference, he's still as boring as a rock." She laughed silently to herself and continued working, later falling asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle was standing in a field, on some sort of hill. Screams filled the air. She was in her Hogwarts uniform, wand in hand. She looked beyond and saw fire in a nearby village, the residents running in different directions, screaming their lungs out.  
  
Jesabelle didn't understand why, but she started running towards the village, convinced that she should help.  
  
She reached the village and was met by a sight. Ministry officials were fighting against some Death Eaters, and were losing terribly. Many of them were already dead or badly wounded, their bodies scattered along the ground. The wooden houses were burning to crisps and mothers, fathers, and children were screaming for loved ones, dead or missing.  
  
She looked around and realized that one of the bodies had red hair; she ran towards it and looked upon the body. Realizing who it was, she screamed. It was Ron.  
  
"Ron!" Jesabelle said, getting on the ground. "Ron!" she screamed again, but it was no use, he was already dead.  
  
A scream erupted from a house behind her and she realized that someone was still inside the house.  
  
"Help me!" the voice screamed. It was a little boy.  
  
Jesabelle rushed into the burning house and fought her way up the stairs, narrowly missing a burning piece of wood that fell from the roof. She ran into the first room of the second floor, coughing and shielding her eyes from the smoke. Seeing the child was not there, she tried the next room, finding a crying bundle in a already slightly burning cradle. She grabbed the bundle and ran down the stairs, the floorboards crumbling behind her.  
  
The door was blocked by burning wood. Jesabelle ran into the living room and jumped through a glass window, landing hard unto the ground outside, the baby crying in her arms.  
  
"Shh." Jesabelle said. "It's all right, I've got you."  
  
Jesabelle lifted off the blanket from the baby's face so it could breathe. She screamed, throwing the baby and pushing herself backward. The baby she was holding in her arms was none other than Voldemort himself.  
  
"Is that any way to treat your leader?" a female voice asked, picking up the child.  
  
Jesabelle looked up to see a woman with jet black hair, a kind face, with brown, almond shaped eyes, wearing black robes.  
  
"Mother?" Jesabelle asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yes, Jesabelle." The woman said.  
  
"Put me down, Gema." The baby Voldemort said.  
  
"Oh course, my Lord." Gema Potter said, placing the baby on the ground.  
  
"Mother, what are you doing?!" Jesabelle screamed, standing up and backing away.  
  
"I am only listening to the orders of the supreme." Gema said.  
  
"What?" Jesabelle whispered as Voldemort returned back to his old form, his snake like eyes glaring at her with sick satisfaction.  
  
"You have been a bad girl, running away Jesabelle." Voldemort said.  
  
"I had to." Jesabelle said.  
  
"I told you that the truth has a way of revealing itself." Voldemort said, pulling on a black robe and taking a step towards her, Gema standing behind him.  
  
"No." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Yes." Voldemort said. "Soon they will know the whole truth, and then you will want to come crawling back to me when they finally turn away from you."  
  
"No!" Jesabelle said again, backing away even further and tripping upon something. She fell backward and looked at the object she tripped over.  
  
"Harry!" Jesabelle screamed shrilly, rushing over to his dead body. "Oh gods!" Jesabelle screamed again, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Harry!"  
  
"That is what will happen Jesabelle." Voldemort said. "By staying with him, you will be offering him to me on a silver platter."  
  
"NO!" Jesabelle screamed.  
  
"Look around you Jesabelle!" Voldemort said, raising his arms and looking around. "By staying safely at Hogwarts, I will only destroy more places, kill more people, so that I will be able to catch you."  
  
"NO! You can't!' Jesabelle screamed. "All those innocent people!"  
  
"Do you think innocence matters to me Jesabelle!" Voldemort said, laughing coldly. "The innocence just adds to the fun of it!"  
  
"You're sick." Jesabelle spat, "SICK!"  
  
"I'm not sick." Voldemort said, "The people around are the ones who are sick."  
  
Jesabelle looked around and saw more dead bodies. But not just any dead bodies. They were the bodies of Luna, Neville, Ginny, Hermione, and Draco.  
  
"NO!" Jesabelle said, running to Draco's body, which was the closest. "No! No! NO! NO! NO!"  
  
"Yes." Voldemort hissed. "Yes, Jesabelle, this is what will happen to them if you will not return to me."  
  
"I will never return to you!" Jesabelle said, getting up. "Never!"  
  
Voldemort smiled evilly and turned away. "Then so be it." He said, walking away, Gema following.  
  
Jesabelle stared after him and her mother. Then she suddenly found her voice.  
  
"Mother!" she called out to Gema's retreating back. "Mother please."  
  
Gema did not look back at her daughter but continued walking behind the Dark Lord.  
  
"Mother please!" Jesabelle screamed. "They're all dead!" she wept. "How could you let this happen?!"  
  
Gema did not even give any faint sign that she had heard her daughter's desperate cries.  
  
Jesabelle cried, screaming at the sky, the screaming of the surrounding people growing steadily louder with each step Gema Potter took, walking away from Jesabelle.  
  
Jesabelle pounded the ground, screaming even louder.  
  
"Hermione! Ron! Ginny! Luna! Neville! Harry! Draco!" she screamed, looking around at the bodies.  
  
"Wake up!" she screamed. "Please!"  
  
She lay down on the ground, her uniform black and dirty, weeping in sad defeat.  
  
"Please," she whispered, closing her eyes, "wake up."  
  
Then suddenly, all sound was muted. She could no longer hear the cries of the village people. She could no longer hear the crackle of the fires that had consumed the houses. Jesabelle slowly opened her eyes and looked up, not seeing the starless night sky, but the ceiling of a building.  
  
She sat up, and realized she was in a Hogwarts corridor. Wondering how she got there, she wiped her tears and pulled herself to her feet.  
  
She looked around, taking everything in. There were no burning houses, there were no screams, and there were no bodies.  
  
She was about to let out a sigh of relief when she saw a figure move in the corner of her eye. She turned around and saw someone wearing a black coat run down the corridor.  
  
"Hey" Jesabelle said, running after the mysterious person. "Wait! Who are you?"  
  
She picked up her speed and finally eluded the person, chasing them into an empty classroom, closing the door behind them. Jesabelle took out her wand and ran burst into the room, just when the mysterious person removed the hood of their cloak.  
  
Jesabelle gasped, it was her mother, standing in front of Nagini, the Dark Lord's basilisk.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nagini hissed and advanced toward her, Jesabelle turned to the door and tried the knob, but it was locked. It was at that time when she realized that she did not have her wand.  
  
"Oh no." Jesabelle said, turning towards Nagini.  
  
Before she could formulate a plan, Nagini wrapped its tail around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides, lifting her up about three feet off the ground. Jesabelle struggled.  
  
"Let me go!" she screamed, her feet dangling. "Mother!" she screamed, turning to her mother, who was standing away to the side. "Help me! Please!"  
  
"I'm sorry Jesabelle." Gema said, her voice and face devoid of any emotion. "But I cannot help you. I'm dead, you know that."  
  
"But, but," Jesabelle staggered. "Please, try and do something!"  
  
"There is only one way Jesabelle." Gema said. "Return to the Dark Lord."  
  
"No!" Jesabelle screamed.  
  
"Then this is your fate." Gema said as the room grew dark, fog encircling them. Gema looked at Jesabelle sadly and stepped backward, disappearing into the mist.  
  
"Mother!" Jesabelle screamed, as the basilisk squeezed her tighter, limiting her breathing.  
  
Then a cold laughter rose in the air.  
  
"You cannot run away forever Jesabelle." The cold voice said.  
  
"No Voldemort! No!" Jesabelle screamed, losing air.  
  
"Your past will eventually catch up. And the longer prolong it, the worse that day will be. The farther you run, the more the danger increases for those you care about."  
  
"No." Jesabelle whispered with all her strength, suffocating. Any minute now the basilisk would crush her bones, and she would be dead.  
  
"You cannot fight it anymore. You cannot fight who you are." Voldemort said.  
  
Jesabelle's vision began to blur. No, she couldn't die. Then she heard a voice. A warm voice.  
  
"Jesabelle! Jesabelle! Wake up! I'm here!" the voice said.  
  
"Draco!" she called out feebly, as if expecting he would hear her. "Draco!"  
  
Then she saw flashes of the dead bodies. Their faces, the look of utter terror stretched upon them. The look of death slashed across it. Pretty soon, pretty soon, she would be joining them.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jesabelle screamed, waking up to find Draco gripping her shoulders tightly.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Draco said, shaking her violently. "It was a dream."  
  
Jesabelle sat up, taking in her surroundings. The desk, the window, the bed, Draco's face. Her things had been placed neatly on her bedside table. Draco was sitting on the edge of her bed.  
  
She was sweating, the impression of fresh tears on her face.  
  
"Jesabelle." Draco whispered. "It was just a nightmare."  
  
"What?" Jesabelle asked, looking at him.  
  
"I heard you screaming." Draco said. "I heard you screaming my name, and all the others' names. I ran in here to find you twitching violently. I was scared."  
  
"It was terrible!" Jesabelle screamed, collapsing in Draco's arms, sobbing violently. "I saw Voldemort, and my mother. But then, but then," she stammered.  
  
"But then?" Draco asked.  
  
"Harry, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Ron, Ginny. Even you Draco! All of you were, were, were, DEAD!" she cried, sobbing harder into his shirt.  
  
Draco's eyes widened slightly in surprise. It must have been quite the nightmare. He ran his hands up and down Jesabelle's back soothingly. They stayed that way for about ten minutes. Then Jesabelle pulled away and sniffed, wiping her nose.  
  
"I haven't had dreams like that for a while." Jesabelle said.  
  
"You've have dreams like this before?" Draco asked, surprised.  
  
"Not exactly, but I always see my mother in them." Jesabelle said, looking away and out the window, into the night. She shivered slightly.  
  
"What else happened in the dream?" Draco asked.  
  
"I saw Voldemort's basilisk. It could have killed me in my dream, but I heard your voice." Jesabelle said, looking at Draco, into his eyes. "Then I woke up."  
  
"So it's like I sort of saved you." Draco said.  
  
Jesabelle nodded.  
  
They stayed like that for a while. Jesabelle then sighed. Draco couldn't stand it any longer. He leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss. Jesabelle was slightly surprised and sighed as Draco pushed her gently backward, moving on top of her.  
  
Everything was moving so fast that before Jesabelle knew it, Draco was suckling her pulse point, making her release a sound she didn't even know she could make.  
  
"Draco." She whispered, her eyes closed.  
  
Draco smiled and kissed her again on the lips as he reached to remove her shirt. It was then that Jesabelle's eyes snapped open and she stopped his hand, which was already tugging at her shirt.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said, avoiding his gaze. "I can't. I'm not...."  
  
"I know." Draco said, getting off her and laying at her left side. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's all right." She said, looking at him. She sighed. "I want this, but, I just can't right now."  
  
Draco nodded and Jesabelle turned and laid at her side, turning her back to Draco. Tears began to slide down her face as she remembered the dream. She began to tremble slightly. Draco, seeing this, put a comforting arm around her waist and pulled her to him, kissing her cheek.  
  
"Don't worry love." He said. "It wasn't real. It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real."  
  
Jesabelle closed her eyes and concentrated on the strong arms that held her. She wanted to be lost to his embrace. But no, she couldn't risk it. Not with her dream. What others had to learn about Jesabelle's dreams were that they were somewhat like premonitions. She knew that her dream meant that something was going to happen. Something was going to go terribly wrong. But what? She started to drift to sleep. She just hoped that she wouldn't get tangled in its web, like she did so long ago. Last time she did, she escaped, but, how would escape be easy, when the people she loved and cared about the most were already on the line? How could she lessen the danger that was already approaching?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yay! I finished! Woohoo! Yeah, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please read and review!  
  
Coming up........  
  
Chapter 21: Jesabelle and Draco nearly went through with it. But they didn't. What will they do to ensure that they would never find themselves in the same position again? What did Jesabelle's dream mean? Professor Trelawney makes the dream clear. And her dangers, Jesabelle realizes, are only increasing.  
  
Stay tuned! 


	21. A Visit from Dear Old Mum

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 21: A Visit from Dear Old Mum  
  
Ever since Jesabelle and Draco had that "close call", they decided that they would limit contact with each other, meaning that they would not enter each other's rooms, and that they would limit their kisses. Sure, it was difficult, but they both did not want to take the risk of doing it and getting Jesabelle pregnant.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What could you dream mean, Jesabelle?" Hermione asked one afternoon.  
  
They were all sitting nearby a secluded tree next to the lake. Jesabelle had just finished explaining, and in great detail, her dream. Harry and Ron looked at each other seriously as Ginny stroke Jesabelle's arm comfortingly. Luna was sitting next to Hermione, while Neville stood, leaning against the tree's trunk, looking out at the lake thoughtfully.  
  
"I don't know." Jesabelle said. "But I have had dreams like this before."  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"I've had nightmares like this before, when I was younger, after my mother died. I haven't had any such dreams for a while, actually, ever since a year ago." Jesabelle said.  
  
"It could be a premonition of some sort." Neville said, diverting his gaze from the lake and to Jesabelle.  
  
"It's possible." Luna said, while the others nodded in agreement.  
  
"I don't know." Jesabelle said. "But the last time I had a dream like that, something happened."  
  
"What?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I can't say. I'd rather not talk about it right now." Jesabelle said, looking at the lake.  
  
The others looked at each other questioningly. Then the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and the beginning of the afternoon classes. They got up reluctantly and headed back to the castle.  
  
A few minutes later, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Jesabelle waved goodbye to Hermione and Luna, who were going to Arithmacy. They turned around and headed up to the tower, where they were going to have Divination.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They were just in time for class as they clambered up the ladder, leading up to their classroom, surprised that Professor Trelawney was already there, not making her dramatic entrance.  
  
"Have a seat everyone and welcome back into another lesson of the unknown." Professor Trelawney said, her voice still misty, her bangles dangling as she stretched her arms in a sign of welcome.  
  
Harry, Ron, Neville, and Jesabelle took a table at the far end of the class.  
  
"Is she a seer?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Yes," Professor Trelawney said, making the others jump, "I am a seer, Ms." She made her way to Harry's table, looking at Jesabelle. "Ms. Jesabelle Potter."  
  
"Yes." Jesabelle said, keeping eye contact with her. They stayed that way for a few seconds until Professor Trelawney looked away, as if something had pained her eyes.  
  
"All right class," Trelawney said, slowing walking away from their table. "Take out you books and turn to page 113, in which you will read the article on our further study of palm reading. When finished, pair up with someone, and using the book, try to make out the meanings of the lines on your partner's hands. You may begin."  
  
Everyone took out their books and began reading. The smell from the fireplace was already making Harry and Ron drowsy.  
  
"Bloody hell," Ron said, "I'm falling asleep again."  
  
"Same here mate, but I forgot the chocolate." Harry said, shrugging.  
  
Ever since their fifth year, Harry and Ron decided they had to find a way to keep themselves awake, since the misty draft of incense from the fireplace did nasty things to you if you fell asleep. A few months before this year, they had discovered that chocolate was able to keep them alert for those torturous days they had to spend in Trelawney's classes.  
  
"Hold on." Neville said. "I think I have some."  
  
A few minutes later, Harry and Ron were wide awake, and had paired up, Harry reading Ron's palm, while Neville read Jesabelle's.  
  
"I can't really read the line on your right thumb Harry." Ron said, looking at the book. "The book doesn't say anything about this line.  
  
Harry referred to his book as well, looking from the diagrams to his thumb. "Hmm, that's strange, you're right Ron."  
  
"It seems that Jesabelle has the same line on the same thumb mates." Neville said, looking up at them.  
  
"A new line that is not dictated in the book my dears?" Trelawney said from behind Ron, making him jump up. "I'm sorry dear, do calm down." Trelawney said apologetically, as Ron sat down.  
  
Trelawney took Harry's hand, while the class watched in anticipation.  
  
"These lines cross each other, forming some sort of pattern." Trelawney said. "In all my years, I never actually thought it be true but I never thought I'd live to see this."  
  
"What is it Professor?" Paravati Patil asked.  
  
"This class," Trelawney said, raising Harry's hand a little. "is an example of the destiny lines."  
  
"But aren't they all lines that tell your destiny, Professor?" Lavender Brown asked.  
  
"Yes, but these are unique." Trelawney said. "It was said that two people who possessed the same destiny line had destinies that cross each other, that are bound together, that the two share a related fate."  
  
The class looked around at each other, as Trelawney continued. "In all the years of wizardry, there has only been two people who shared the same destiny lines. And they were King Arthur and Merlin himself. But, it was never proven true."  
  
She paused again dramatically and continued, turning to Harry. "Who else posses such a line, Harry?"  
  
"Jesabelle does, Professor." Neville said.  
  
Trelawney glided over to Jesabelle and gently took her hand, looking at her palm. Her eyes widened. "So it is true!" she cried, causing everyone to look at her questioningly. "The destiny lines are real class. Both Potters have these lines. They share a bounded fate!"  
  
Jesabelle looked at Harry questioningly, who returned her look.  
  
Trelawney turned back to Jesabelle's palm, tracing each line with her thin, bony fingers.  
  
"Your palm is very disturbing, Jesabelle." Trelawney said. "You've had a troubled childhood, and an even more troubled teenaged life. Even you adult life seems very rickety. You've been having many dre-"  
  
"Please Professor," Jesabelle said, "I would rather that you did not dictate my fate to the class, that is my own business."  
  
"Of course, my apologies." Trelawney said, releasing her palm, as the bell rang. "There will be no homework for tonight class."  
  
They all looked at each other, then at Jesabelle as they gathered their things. Trelawney had never dismissed them without homework. Never.  
  
"Jesabelle, I would like to see you after class." Trelawney said.  
  
Jesabelle nodded at the others, telling them that she will meet them at the Great Hall for dinner.  
  
Trelawney sat in an armchair next to the fire and looked at Jesabelle through her spectacles. Jesabelle stood two feet in front of her.  
  
"I suppose you're the one Dumbledore told the faculty about." Trelawney said.  
  
"I guess so, unless they're another person like me lurking around in the castle Professor." Jesabelle said.  
  
"I just wanted to tell you that I understand everything that has been going on with you, and I want you to be careful, even more careful than you have been for the past school year." Trelawney said.  
  
"But how did you-" Jesabelle started.  
  
"Know? I have seen it." Trelawney said.  
  
Jesabelle nodded in understanding.  
  
"All right then, that is all, have a good dinner Ms. Potter." Trelawney said.  
  
"Thank you Professor, you too." Jesabelle said, gathering her things.  
  
She was about to open the latch and step down the ladder when another voice spoke.  
  
"Wait, Jesabelle." The voice said. The voice was sweet, melodic, warm.  
  
Jesabelle turned around and looked around the room, seeing no one but Professor Trelawney.  
  
"Who's there?" Jesabelle asked, taking out her wand.  
  
"You do not need that wand with me, darling. I'm right here."  
  
Jesabelle followed the voice and looked at Trelawney. It was then that she realized that her eyes were out of focus. She was about to panic when she heard the voice again.  
  
"Do you not know who I am?" the voice asked.  
  
"But, wait, that can't be. Mother?" Jesabelle asked in disbelief.  
  
"Hello darling." The voice said. The voice was coming from Trelawney herself. And Jesabelle realized that she was probably possessed by her mother's spirit.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"I do not have much time to explain, my time here is limited." Gema Potter said from Professor Trelawney's body. "I came to give you a warning."  
  
"What is it?" Jesabelle said, shivering despite the warmth of the room.  
  
"It is about your dream." Gema said.  
  
"What about it?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Neville was right when he said it could be some sort of premonition. What it means, I do not know. But, you're time here at Hogwarts is limited."  
  
"My time, what?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Everything about your past will be revealed. You father is coming for you." Gema said.  
  
"No, that can't be possible; I've worked so hard to hide everything. And father can't come for me, I am safe here, I would never leave." Jesabelle said.  
  
"I know my daughter, I know." Gema said. "That is the same way I felt when people told me to leave your father; that things were getting dangerous with the Dark Lord. But I thought that everything would be all right, as you do, and that I would be safe. But no, circumstances, forced to me to flee. As you will as well."  
  
"But," Jesabelle started.  
  
"Let me finish.' Gema said sternly. "Things will happen, events will take place. And somehow, you will be forced out of Hogwarts by none other than yourself. In your pursuit to protect those you love and to escape the pain that will endure. But you will be caught, and then everything will fall into place. And Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville will know the truth."  
  
"Is there any way I can stop this from happening Mother?" Jesabelle said, getting on her knees. "Tell me, please!" she begged. "I do not want them to know the truth. They will leave me."  
  
"Darling if there was a way, I would tell you, and believe me, I would do anything to be there right now to help you through, but I can't." Gema said.  
  
"But," Jesabelle stammered again.  
  
"Shh." Gema said, comfortingly. "Jesabelle, you have survived many things like this before, and you have been strong, and for that I am proud of you. But now is the time to use the strength you have, and be ready to face what is going to come, or else you might be defeated by the Dark Lord."  
  
"Why do things always take the wrong turn for us, mother?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"They don't always turn out that way." Gema said, "It's just that we haven't been fortunate enough to experience more of the good times, than the bad times. It is nearing the time for you to stand up and fight, or else the darkness of your past will pull you back in again."  
  
There was silence for a while, in which only the crackles of the fire could be heard.  
  
"It is time for my departure." Gema said. "Goodbye Jesabelle, I love you."  
  
"Goodbye." Jesabelle whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she got up. Turning toward the room again she whispered, "I love you too mother.", and descended down the ladder.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yay! I'm done. Thanks to all my reviewers! And a Happy Belated Thanksgiving to all of my readers! Take care everyone. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
  
Please read and review!  
  
Coming Up.........  
  
Chapter 22: Is Draco having second thoughts about his relationship with Jesabelle? What will the others think about Trelawney's possession, and about the words that were spoken to Jesabelle by her mother?  
  
Tune in for the next Chapter! 


	22. The Power of Words

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
P.S. The stuff in here ~(insert phrase)~ are the characters' consciences.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 22: The Power of Words  
  
"So Trelawney went into another trance again." Harry said.  
  
"I always did believe that that woman was a fake." Hermione said.  
  
They were at the Great Hall eating dinner. Jesabelle had come down pale, telling them exactly what had happened just a few minutes before, of course, leaving the parts about the truth being revealed out of her explanation.  
  
"But she has never met my mother before." Jesabelle said. "Otherwise I would have known about it. I have never even seen her once in my entire life. And besides, why would she want to imitate my mother and say all those things? I don't think she's a joker, and that's pretty sick joke to play in the first."  
  
"Did you tell Mal- Draco about it?" Ron asked.  
  
"Not yet, but I'll probably tell him tonight." Jesabelle said, looking over at the Slytherin table. She noticed that Draco looked more detached than usual, poking at his food. She figured he was stressed or something and decided to ask him about it later that night.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco had been poking at his food for quite a while. He had received another letter from his mother when he returned to his room at the Heads' Dorm to put his things away before he headed down to dinner.  
  
A brown owl had delivered it. He had never seen it before. He had taken the letter and opened it while sitting in an armchair in front of the fire.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dearest Son,  
  
All the preparations have been made for your induction into the league. The Dark Lord is very pleased that everything is going as planned.  
  
I am sorry son, I know that you wanted to fight against him and your father, as I want to as well, but I am powerless here. I do not have a say in these things. Please forgive me, for I have tried, but I have also paid very dearly for doing so.  
  
The Dark Lord already has things in place for his next move; all he needs is for you to be there with your father in Azkaban. How, he's going to do everything, I do not know for sure yet, but be ready for it. I would hate for you to be caught off guard, especially with Jesabelle. No one must ever know about the relationship that you two have with each other.  
  
It really is such a shame that I never got a chance to see her again. Yes, son, I have met her before, and I must say, she is a wise choice. But you have to do what you must do for her safety; I can only hope that things will turn out for the best for both of you. I hope for good council for you, for I do not know how you will be able to perform the first phase of our plan, for I know it will be painful, even for you.  
  
I can only hope that, if good really does prevail over evil, then we shall be saved.  
  
You loving mother, Narcissa  
  
P.S. Discard of this letter, I do not want the Ministry or anyone else finding this, landing you in jail. Send my love to Jesabelle, if you can.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
He still did not know how to "perform the first phase" of their plan. In all truth, he didn't know, nor did he want to. But he knew that it was the only way to ensure Jesabelle's safety. He just wished he didn't have to do it the way he intended to.  
  
He finally got frustrated and left to contemplate his situation further at the Heads Dorm.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle watched as Draco got up and left the Great Hall. She could tell by the expression on his face that there was something big going on. What, she did not know. She got up.  
  
"Are you going to talk to Draco now, Jesabelle?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Yes." Jesabelle said. "Good night everyone."  
  
They all responded with their good nights and Jesabelle headed out the Great Hall.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Parker and Marshall were at the secluded end of the Slytherin table, nearest to the doors, talking in hushed voices.  
  
"Did you receive the letter about the initiation?" Marshall asked.  
  
"Yes, I just did about an hour ago." Parker answered, taking a bite out of an apple as she saw Jesabelle exit the Great Hall.  
  
"Do you think Malfoy got one?" Marshall asked.  
  
"Of course, Blake." Parker said, rolling her eyes. "He is a Malfoy, right? It's tradition for them."  
  
"But I thought he was fighting on Potter's side." Marshall said disgustedly.  
  
"Even if he wanted to, he doesn't have a choice." Parker said.  
  
"True." Marshall said. "But," he began, "what does the Dark Lord intend to do about Jesabelle?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Parker said. "I haven't received any further instructions besides to keep an eye on her and Malfoy."  
  
"But, I heard that he's planning something big for her." Marshall said.  
  
"That's true; we just don't know what it is yet." Parker said. "Just give it some time, Blake. After the initiation, that's when the fun will really begin. And we'll see if Jesabelle will be able to escape alive."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle walked into the Heads Dorm to find Draco sitting in an armchair in front of the fire, his head in his hands.  
  
"Draco?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
Draco looked up, the trademark Malfoy façade etched all over his face.  
  
"We need to talk." Draco said, and Jesabelle was surprised to hear the expressionless tone he was using. He had never used that tone with her since Christmas. It sounded so foreign that it scared her.  
  
"What about?" Jesabelle asked, sitting in an armchair beside him.  
  
"About this so-called relationship we have." Draco said.  
  
"So-called relationship?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Listen, Potter, and listen good." Draco said, standing up. He used Potter, not Jesabelle. Something was wrong.  
  
"Potter? What?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Just listen." Draco said angrily.  
  
Jesabelle winced and decided to keep her mouth shut. Eh never addressed her this way before. She could think of any reason why he should be in the first place. The fact that he had stung her, and before she knew it, she felt tears coming to her eyes. She knew the situation wasn't good.  
  
"I do not love you, having realized that now, I am very pleased with myself." Draco said.  
  
"What?" Jesabelle whispered.  
  
"It was merely lust my dear. I only wanted you for my own pleasure, but since I could not even get that, I have decided that I do not want to have to waste my time forcing it on you." Draco said, the Malfoy smirk, playing on his lips. "There are many other girls in this god-forsaken school that would gladly have me in their beds."  
  
"What are you saying?" Jesabelle asked, her voice getting louder.  
  
"That you are of no use to me Potter." Draco said. "What we 'had' was nothing short of an act to get you in bed with me."  
  
Jesabelle's tears flew freely as his words sunk in. He only wanted her for his pleasure? That cannot be possible. It was all over. He didn't love her. He didn't even care about her. It was all an act. Harry and Ron were right. They were RIGHT.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"NO BUTS JESABELLE. MALFOY IS GOING TO HURT YOU. HE'S GOING TO BREAK YOUR HEART AND YOU KNOW WHAT?" Harry yelled, "I DON'T THINK I'M GOING TO WANT TO OFFER YOU ANY COMFORT WHEN THE TIME COMES."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry's words echoed through her mind as Jesabelle looked at Malfoy, an evil smirk sickening his handsome features. She wiped her eyes and turned away. She did not want Malfoy to know how much damage he had caused. She did not want to give him the pleasure of knowing how much she was going to cry for him.  
  
"I understand, Malfoy." Jesabelle said, her back to Draco, spitting out his last name.  
  
Then, she left. Out the portrait and down the hall she went, heading towards the Gryffindor Tower, not even sure if she was going to receive an "I told you so" from Harry and Ron. Not even sure if she wanted to even stay at Hogwarts anymore.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco watched as Jesabelle left the room, her head hung low. He slumped into the chair.  
  
He knew he hurt her. He just wanted to run after her. To pull her to him. To tell her that he was sorry. To tell her the truth.  
  
He loved her, but this was the only way he could let her go without suspicion. He couldn't allow himself to let Voldemort pull her into the picture. It was dangerous ever since the beginning. But he didn't care. Despite the danger, he loved her. For that, he could very well kill her. He couldn't let that happen. This was the only way. If he told her the truth, then he knew that she would leave him.  
  
"I'm sorry Jesabelle." He whispered, looking into the fire. "This is the only way."  
  
~Is it really the only way?~  
  
"Yes. Even you know that."  
  
~I know. I just wished that there was some way we could have worked around this. You hurt her.~  
  
"You think I don't know that?"  
  
~I'm just saying.~  
  
Draco sighed.  
  
"What am I going to do now?"  
  
~Just go on with your mother's plan. It's the only way you will be able to get her back now.~  
  
"It's amazing how much words can really hurt a person."  
  
~Yes, amazing.~  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the power of words!"  
  
~Yes, the great power of words.~  
  
"I would have died rather than to see her as hurt as she is now."  
  
~This is the only way we can ensure her safety~  
  
"Ensure her safety? We're not even completely sure that the Dark Lord isn't watching right now."  
  
~True. But let's just hold to hope that will remain safe.~  
  
"But how can we hold to hope when it is slowly slipping through our fingers?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
There! How's that for a little surprise? Anyways, I hope you all like it!  
  
Please read and review!  
  
Coming Up...........  
  
Chapter 23: More Death Eater sightings, the seventh year N.E.W.T.s, and Harry's reaction toward the break up.  
  
Stay Tuned! ^_^ 


	23. The Week After

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 23: The Week After  
  
Jesabelle slowly walked through the corridors and soon came up to the portrait of the Fat Lady.  
  
"Password?" the Fat Lady asked.  
  
Jesabelle looked up and the Fat Lady looked upon with her with pity.  
  
"I'm sorry milady, but I do not know the password, but I am a Gryffindor." Jesabelle said sincerely.  
  
"Yes, I know my dear, but I'm afraid I can't let you in without a password." The Fat Lady said sadly.  
  
At that moment, Neville and Ron were coming up and saw Jesabelle.  
  
"Jesabelle." Neville called out, walking over to her, Ron following.  
  
"Hello Jesabelle. Did you-?" Ron was suddenly cut off when he saw that Jesabelle was crying quietly.  
  
"Jesabelle?" Neville asked. "What's wrong?"  
  
"You dears should go inside. I don't think you would like to be talking about personal issues in the corridor. The walls have ears you know." The Fat Lady said, swinging open, even though no one gave her the password.  
  
"Thank you." Ron said, walking into the surprisingly empty common room, save for Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, of whom Harry and the others invited up to chat.  
  
Neville followed, arm around Jesabelle's shoulders.  
  
"Jesabelle?" Harry asked, getting up from the sofa he was sitting on and rushing to his cousin.  
  
"Harry." Jesabelle whispered.  
  
Harry led her over to their favorite place of the common room, where the others had gotten up, wondering what happened.  
  
"Sit down Jesabelle." Harry said.  
  
"No, I don't want to." Jesabelle said. "I shouldn't even be here. But I don't want to go back to the Heads Dorm."  
  
"What? Why? What happened?" Harry asked, standing in front of her, holding her hands in his.  
  
"He, he," Jesabelle began.  
  
"He, what?" Harry asked. "What did Draco do?"  
  
"He doesn't love me." Jesabelle said, looking up at Harry, her face wet with fresh tears. "He needed me for pleasure!" she screamed, her voice slowly getting louder. "But since he couldn't even get that, he said that he wouldn't even waste his time! HE SAID IT WAS ALL AN ACT HARRY, AN ACT!"  
  
She collapsed, Harry pulling her into a tight hug and she wept, the tears falling as if they would never end, her body racked with sobs.  
  
"You were right Harry." She whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But all of you were right."  
  
"Shh, don't cry. It's all right, we're here."  
  
The others looked on, their hearts breaking to pieces as they watched the tow cousins. One filled with sorrow of having been hurt by the man she loved, the other filled with sorrow to see the other in so much pain.  
  
Harry himself was close to tears as he held Jesabelle.  
  
Luna walked up to Harry and Jesabelle and slowly rubbed Jesabelle's back with her hand as a sign of comfort and support.  
  
"He never loved me." Jesabelle said. "But I gave him my heart."  
  
Harry and others by then were already feeling her pain.  
  
A few minutes later, Jesabelle pulled away, sniffling and wiping her tears with her hand.  
  
"I'm sorry I wrecked your shirt Harry." Jesabelle said.  
  
"It's okay Jesabelle." Harry said softly.  
  
"I shouldn't be burdening you with this." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Oh come on," Ron said, "why else are we here?"  
  
Jesabelle smiled and hugged Ron, kissing him on the cheek.  
  
"You're here, Ron, because someone needed to love Hermione." Jesabelle said, making Ron and Hermione exchange embarrassed looks as the others grinned.  
  
Jesabelle gave them all a small smile and began to walk towards the direction of the portrait hole, which was already opening to let students in.  
  
"Where are you going Jesabelle?" Harry asked.  
  
"Back to my room." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Are you sure you want to go back?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, I mean, you could just sleep with us tonight." Hermione said as Ginny nodded.  
  
"No, I'll have to face him sometime, I mean, we still have that Care of Magical Creatures project." Jesabelle said.  
  
They all watched as she waved them good night and walk off, not knowing whether they should keep her close or to let her go face it all on her own.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle walked into the Heads' Dorm, not surprised to see that Draco wasn't there, but in his room.  
  
She sighed heavily, trying to keep her tears in check. It had taken a lot of her strength to walk out of the Gryffindor common room with the usual mask she used to hide her emotions.  
  
Realizing this, she twisted her face into an ugly expression, being reminded of Malfoy and his own façade.  
  
She collapsed onto an armchair nearby the window and stared outside. Draco Malfoy had been using her. She should have known. The whole lot of Malfoys, save for one, are bloody idiots. She really didn't understand why she fell for him in the first place.  
  
"Why did it have to be you, Draco Malfoy?" Jesabelle whispered, looking out to the moon. "Of all people why you?"  
  
While Jesabelle whispered, she did not realize that Draco's bedroom door was slightly open, and Draco was watching her from inside. She may have been whispering, but he heard her clearly.  
  
"Why did it have to Lucius' son?" he heard her whisper. "He's just like his father, no doubt about that. The splitting image. It scares me sometimes."  
  
Draco listened more attentively. Jesabelle had just compared him to his father. That was as much as an offense as being told that he smelled like dragon dung in the morning.  
  
"It was a risk, I know." She said. "Especially since the Dark Lord is keeping an eye on him, even though most people do not believe it possible."  
  
Draco's eyes widened, she knew about Death Eaters.  
  
"They always said that Draco Malfoy would end up like his father, but I always believed that maybe he wouldn't that maybe he would be different. That just because he was a Malfoy did not mean that he was going to be a Death Eater." Jesabelle said, sighing.  
  
Draco felt his heart clench. So she did think that he could change.  
  
"I thought he could change. I thought that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have to meet an end like that of his father. But I guess I was wrong." She said sadly.  
  
Draco sighed, he should have told her the truth, but would she believe him if he did?  
  
"I was so stupid to believe the things I did. Everyone told me he would be trouble. But I didn't listen; now look at me, a slave to Malfoy and his façade! What am I coming to?" Jesabelle said, exasperated.  
  
Draco could see her face. She began to cry again.  
  
He hated the fact that he just couldn't go out there and wipe the tears from her eyes. He was so angry at himself that he wanted to just run over there and beg forgiveness, but something was making him stick to where he was standing. His body did not want to move.  
  
This was the opportune time to tell the truth and apologize but for some reason, neither his mind nor his body would let him do it. He knew that if he did apologize and if things would be right again that he was putting her in even more danger, especially since she had a hunch about him being a Death Eater.  
  
"When will it end?" Jesabelle sobbed, closing her eyes. "Why me?"  
  
He did know how long he stood there, watching her, but suddenly, he realized that she had fallen asleep. His first thought was to go out there and put a blanket over her, but that could result in an all-out scream fest in the morning. He resolved to close the door, and go to sleep, but first making sure that no one could get into the Dorm when they didn't need to be.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~  
  
"I can't believe this!" Ron said. It was Monday, a week after the end of Draco and Jesabelle's relationship. For most of the week they would be performing their N.E.W.T.s. They were in the library, studying for their Herbology N.E.W.T, while was to be observed, as all the test will be, by an official from the Ministry of Magic.  
  
Hermione was beginning to have nervous break downs every hour, while Luna and Ginny studied like mad. Neville remained calm, while even Harry and Ron were nervous.  
  
"Calm down Ron." Neville said while Jesabelle snickered silently.  
  
"Why should I calm down?!" Ron said, throwing his arms up. "It's the N.E.W.T.s! The bloody tests that will really determine our futures!"  
  
"I think Hermione is having an effect on you Ron.' Jesabelle said. "You're starting to worry about your future."  
  
The others laughed at this while Harry punched Ron jokingly on the arm.  
  
"She's right mate." Harry said. "In my opinion, I think the change is rather entertaining. Different, but entertaining."  
  
Ron sighed and returned to his book while the others grinned.  
  
Madame Pomfrey rushed over to them and reminded them to keep their voices down, it was a library after all, and the other students studying for their tests were already throwing them bad looks.  
  
Jesabelle continued smiling and returned back to her open Herbology book and notebook. She was beginning to lose concentration again. She always found her thoughts drifting to Draco. She stared at it for a while, not realizing that she was beginning to drift off.  
  
"Jesabelle." Harry said.  
  
Jesabelle's head snapped up, focusing on Harry's face.  
  
"Yes?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"You need to study for this test." Harry said.  
  
"Well so do you!" Jesabelle teased.  
  
"True, but I think you need the time more than I do." Harry said.  
  
Jesabelle sighed and returned to her notebook. Harry and others rose and told her they would be out by the lake, receiving an understanding nod from her.  
  
She flipped through its pages, reading over the poems she wrote for a living. The notebook itself looked old, the parchment already turning a golden brown, its pages already growing crisp. A friend of hers gave her the notebook and told her that writing always helped the soul. And it did, help her soul, at least a little bit. The notebook was nearly completely filled by now, only a few crisp pages left to write on.  
  
She flipped back some more and found a poem that she remembered writing the night after Blake Marshall broke up with her in her sixth year.  
  
"Invisible"  
March 7, 2002  
In the dead of night  
  
I see your face  
I call out your name  
I stop in front of you  
I greet you happily  
I have a smile across my face  
But then,  
As I move closer,  
My smile begins to fade  
For it seems you cannot see me  
It seem that you cannot hear me  
It is like I do not exist  
You cannot see me, period.  
Is it my heart?  
Is my mind deceiving me?  
I wave my hand in front of your face  
I scream in your ears  
But you are contempt  
You look straight at me  
You don't show any sign,  
That you know that I am there  
It is like you are ignoring me  
Them you suddenly walk away  
I begin to run after you  
I'm sorry if I hurt you  
I love you so much  
Please don't leave me  
I'm so sorry  
Please tell me  
What did I do wrong?  
I am lost  
But whatever I did, I'm sorry  
I love you  
Please  
Don't act like you don't see me  
Please  
Open your eyes  
Please  
  
Try to see me....  
  
Jesabelle sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She had been so stupid that time. She promised herself after that event that she would never make the same mistake. But lo and behold, she did, again, and she was angry at herself for it. She broke her own rules.  
  
She opened her eyes again and saw Draco Malfoy walk in, his cold eyes darting around for a place to study, his façade placed firmly on, his school books underneath his arm, carrying a bag on his back. She quickly looked away, the old sickness of her stupidity welling up inside her again. No, she wouldn't let him see how much the whole ordeal between them was hurting her. She resolved to do that the day after they broke up, knowing fully well that he would enjoy it if he knew.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco searched the room for a place to study. His eyes continued its search until it rested on a certain black-haired female Potter, who seemed to be studying on her own. He inhaled deeply and took a table on her far right, making so that she could only barely see him, but he could see her clearly.  
  
He watched as she sighed deeply again and close the notebook she was looking at, focusing on her Herbology book, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. He could tell that she was tired. She probably hasn't slept in days. She probably cried herself to sleep. He was guilty, oh boy was he guilty, big time. He could see the lines across her face crease as she re- read the same page that she had just read half an hour ago. He could see the bags under eyes had darkened since the last time he actually had enough courage to look at her. The past week had been hell for him, as it had been for her.  
  
He rolled around in his bed some of the days of that week, willing for sleep to take him, but it never did, and when it did, he would have nightmares, which involved seeing Jesabelle dying at the hands of his father. He always awoke after hearing his father's laughs, cold sweat running down his neck. It was usually after that that he would walk out into the Common Room and check on Jesabelle, opening the door just a crack, and then realizing that she wasn't even there. He usually searched the room, but the search was always fruitless.  
  
He probably guessed that during the evenings when he would find her bed empty, that she was up in the tower he found her in on Christmas Day. Remembering the events of that day always brought shivers down his spine, knowing fully well that he missed her. He loved her.  
  
What's worse, though, was that he had to make her feel pain in order to let her go. It was stupid really, but it was the only way he knew how to break it off. He wasn't even sure if she was completely safe. The Dark Lord and his father always had spies around, even here, at Hogwarts. They were probably watching him right now. Watching her right now.  
  
He shivered again, despite the warmth of the room. He really had to find out who these spies were, and soon.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle had watched him take a seat on her far right. She really had concentrate, and not day dream. Her N.E.W.T.s depended on it.  
  
The past week had been like some sort of exile for her. It was like she was separated from all of society, that she alone was feeling the pain.  
  
Harry, Ginny, and the others were there for her, thankfully, but they could not ease her aching heart. They couldn't fill the void that Draco had left behind. For all they knew, she was coping with the break up and was beginning to accept it. But what they didn't know was the nights she spent up in the Heads Dorm tower. She always went up there and sat on the window sill. The same window sill that she shared her first kiss with Draco. It still pained her to think about it, but it always made her feel a great deal warmer when she was feeling cold.  
  
She hadn't slept much since the break up, barely more than two to three hours a night. She was afraid to fall asleep, for she was afraid of dreaming again. Her dreams were always so dark when she did have the nightmares, but she would never remember them when she woke up, which angered her most of the time, since she didn't understand it. But what she did understand was that she loved him.  
  
She often found herself day dreaming about him, about how he would hold her close to him in front of the fire, how they would just talk about random things, about how he would always kiss her to show her how much he loved her. But, she realized, the kisses she used to think passionate and tender was nothing more than acts of lust and want. She felt the all too familiar tears well up in her eyes again, but could not control as she usually did. She hated it when she had too much time to herself like this, with nothing to distract her. She got up, gathered her things, and left the library silently, hiding her tears.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco watched as her eyes welled with tears that were threatening to fall. She knew he was thinking about him, he could tell from her eyes. It hurt her beyond explanation to see her silently get up and leave, only really understanding that breaking up with her the way he did was a mistake.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sorry! I know, it's been a while, but hey, I updated! I hope you all like it!  
  
Please Read and Review!  
  
Coming Up....... Chapter 24: N.E.W.T.s! And the real thoughts behind Harry and the others concerning Jesabelle and Draco.  
  
Thanks everyone! 


	24. NEWTs

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 24: N.E.W.T.s  
  
Draco sat there in the library, staring at the same page of his Herbology book for the last two hours. Like Jesabelle, he was finding it harder to concentrate on studying, when his thoughts kept drifting back to her. He had been feeling loneliness, regret, and guilt, all at once. So much, that he thought he was fit to explode at any time.  
  
He finally gave up after realizing that he had not registered a thing in his textbook. He gathered his things and got up, exiting the library. He took a few paces out of the door when he walked into Harry, who had gone to check on Jesabelle.  
  
"Sorry Harry, excuse me." Draco said, walking past him.  
  
Harry stood there, surprised that he was still calling him by his first name. He caught that all too familiar glint in Draco's eye, but what else was that? Was that guilt? Yes, he concluded, it was. He knew a guilty look when he saw one, he himself have worn some guilty looks in the past.  
  
After finding out from Madame Pince that Jesabelle had retired to her room, Harry made his way back up towards the Gryffindor Tower, where the others had moved to study, since Ron kept getting distracted by the giant squid, which was lazing around, it's head visible above the water.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So you're telling me that you think we're going to have to perform some sort of live test in front Sprout?" Luna asked, her face growing slightly paler than it already was. "And those Ministry officials?!"  
  
"That's what I heard." Neville said. "It shouldn't be difficult."  
  
"Well, that's because you are good at that class! It should be a piece of cake for you!" Luna said.  
  
"I can't believe this!" Ron said again.  
  
"Oh stop it!" Ginny suddenly said, as Harry entered the Gryffindor Common Room, which was empty, save for his friends. "You've been going at it for a while now."  
  
"Hello Harry. Did you find Jesabelle?" Hermione said, diverting the arguing teens to their friend.  
  
"No, she headed back to her dorm a while ago. I also ran into Malfoy on my way in." Harry said.  
  
"You didn't start a brawl with him, did you?" Hermione asked. "It's against the rules."  
  
"No Hermione," Harry said, slightly irritated. "I didn't."  
  
"But it's not like I don't want you to." Hermione said defensively, sensing Harry's irritation. "We just don't need anymore trouble with him, especially since you know; Jesabelle hasn't exactly gotten over it."  
  
"But the odd thing was," Harry said, sitting down in one of the armchairs, "when I ran into him, he apologized, and called me by my first name."  
  
"No, 'Watch where you're going Potter!' or 'Get out of my way Gryffindor filth!' or 'Where's you're little weasel girlfriend?' No insults of any sort?" Ron asked.  
  
"None whatsoever, unless I'm deaf and didn't hear him." Harry said.  
  
"That is odd." Hermione said.  
  
"But it gets even stranger." Harry said. "It was like some weird feeling that I got from him. I could sense guilt."  
  
"Guilt?" Luna asked, leaning in slightly, as if wondering if she heard him right.  
  
"Yes, guilt. A lot of guilt. I could tell from the expression in his eyes." Harry said.  
  
"Guilt? But why would he be guilty? He said all those things to Jesabelle, and with no emotion!" Ron asked.  
  
"Harry has a point, I mean, Draco has been acting a little bit more odd than normal." Ginny said.  
  
"You're still calling him by his first name?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes, Ron, I am, because I don't buy this whole break up thing between him and Jesabelle. I think he's scared." Ginny said in argument to her brother's question. "Haven't you seen him lately? He may not look it physically but you could just tell from looking at him that something is wrong. His eyes are always the things that give him away, though. You could see behind the mask. He's guilty, he feels terrible. There are dark bags under his eyes that he never bothered to cover. He could be laying there all night thinking about the whole thing, and wondering what Jesabelle was doing in her room, wondering how she was taking it."  
  
Ron stared at his sister in amazement.  
  
"But even if you are right, Gin, then why did he really break up with her?" Neville asked, ignoring Ron's glare of suspicion.  
  
"Like I said, I think he's scared." Ginny said in reply. "Everyone knows that all Slytherins, the Malfoys especially, are Death Eaters. That means that since it is a family tradition, Draco would become a Death Eater soon. I mean, common sense! His initiation could be coming up soon! He could very well being carrying the mark right now!"  
  
"Of course." Luna said, while Hermione nodded, understanding Ginny's theory. "He's probably being forced to join Voldemort's league! To protect Jesabelle, he had to push her away."  
  
"And he broke up with her the way he did because he didn't want to raise any suspicions." Hermione said.  
  
"Because he must have been afraid to tell her the truth, because he thought that she might leave him." Neville said, concluding their string of understanding.  
  
"That means," Ron said.  
  
"That Draco must really care deeply for Jesabelle." Harry finished.  
  
"Exactly." Ginny said.  
  
"Have we all gone mad?!" Ron suddenly said.  
  
"No Ron," Hermione said. "we just really understand how Draco feels right now, that's all."  
  
"So, now that we have solved this puzzle," Neville said, rubbing his hands together. "let's get back to our Herbology N.E.W.T., which is tomorrow, mind you."  
  
"Oh sod off Neville!" Luna said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
N.E.W.T. Schedule- Jesabelle Potter  
  
Tuesday- Herbology  
Astrology  
History of Magic  
  
Wednesday- Care of Magical Creatures  
Charms  
Transfiguration  
  
Thursday- Potions  
Divination  
  
Friday- Defense Against the Dark Arts  
  
Jesabelle glanced back at her schedule as she made her way through the throng of people of the corridor. So, it was Herbology first, she thought. Just great, my worst subject on the first day, at least I'll be able to get it out of the way, thankfully.  
  
Jesabelle walked into the greenhouse just as the bell rang to begin instruction. Professor Sprout was standing at the front of the room. Long, rectangular tables lay before her, one behind the other, five pieces of parchment lined across each table.  
  
Neville was already sitting at the third table from the front of the room, waiting for everyone else as they slowly filed into the room.  
  
"All right dears, quickly, the bell to single to single the beginning of you testing will ring in a few minutes, and I need to give you your instructions." Sprout said.  
  
Jesabelle smiled at Neville and sat down on his left, while Luna came over as well and sat down on his right.  
  
When everyone was seated at their places, Sprout began her instruction.  
  
"When the bell rings to signal the beginning of the testing, you may all flip over your parchment, and begin working. When you are finished, you are to present me with your test, and I will hand you over to the Ministry officials here, who will test you further." Sprout said, gesturing to the two officials at her left. They were both women, with stern looks on their faces.  
  
"Oh this is going to be so much fun." Luna said sarcastically, as the bell rang.  
  
"All right, you may begin!" Sprout said. "You will all have an hour and twenty minutes to complete the written test. Good luck!"  
  
And they began, serious looks upon their faces. Harry and the others had studied so hard over the long weekend they had, and were ready for this test.  
  
It turns out that the test they were going to take with the Ministry officials involved repotting Mandrakes, other plants, and taming Medusa Veneseus plants.  
  
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Harry, Jesabelle, and Ginny walked together as Neville, Luna, Hermione, and Ron followed behind.  
  
"That wasn't so bad, was it, Luna?" Neville asked teasingly, making Luna smack him behind the head.  
  
"No, Neville, it wasn't." Luna said, irritated.  
  
"I think I missed that one question about what potions certain parts of plants can be used in." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Oh well, I'm sure you did good on majority of them, Jesabelle." Ginny said reassuringly.  
  
"At least it's over." Harry offered.  
  
"True." Jesabelle said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The rest of their N.E.W.T.s passed without event, unless you count Dean and Seamus accidentally stunning their Jarvey during the Care of Magical Creatures N.E.W.T.  
  
"All right, quiet down, all of you!" An irritated Snape said to the class.  
  
Everyone instinctively quieted down, looking up at the Professor.  
  
"For you potions N.E.W.T., you shall all be preparing Vampire repellant, and Wolfsbane." Snape said, a familiar glint gracing his eyes, darting towards Jesabelle, who returned his look with the utmost disgust at his choice of potion.  
  
"Of all things, Vampire repellant." Jesabelle growled under her breath, so low that no one could hear her.  
  
"Vampire repellant and Wolfsbane." Hermione repeated. "How are they going to test it?"  
  
They all looked at Jesabelle and she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "That bloody git, he must have done that on purpose." She said, more irritated at Snape than usual.  
  
"Your instructions will be placed on this blackboard. Since we have never created this type of potion, this will serve as a challenge to you all." Snape said silkily, grinning. He flicked his wand, and words appeared on the chalkboard, as the bell rang.  
  
"Begin!" Snape said, as the Ministry officials walked through the rows of tables.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
An hour and a half later, they all emerged, smelling faintly of smoke.  
  
"Ms. Potter, please remain behind, I would like to speak with you." Snape said, stepping out of the classroom. Jesabelle nodded and walked into the dungeon.  
  
Before entering, Snape turned towards Harry and the others. "Head to your next N.E.W.T. All of you!" He said, walking into the dungeon and slamming the door behind him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle wasn't at their next N.E.W.T., which was Divination. Harry and the others skipped dinner and headed to the library to study. Still, they had not heard anything from Jesabelle. They were beginning to get worried when Jesabelle walked into the library, and sitting with Harry and the others as their secluded spot.  
  
"Jesabelle." Harry said. "You missed your Divination N.E.W.T."  
  
"I know." Jesabelle said, sitting down in an armchair, wincing slightly. "I'm going to make up for it tomorrow."  
  
"What happened?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Well, I was asked to test out those repellants." Jesabelle said softly.  
  
"Oh." Ginny said.  
  
"So, how was it?" Neville asked.  
  
"Well," Jesabelle sighed, removing her robe and rolling up the sleeves of her school blouse, revealing inch long, slightly deep gashes, which were pinkish.  
  
"Ron, yours needed a bit more powder." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Oh, bloody hell, I knew I should have added more! He's going to fail me for sure!" Ron said.  
  
"Hermione, yours was too strong, I think my hair is starting to fall out." Jesabelle said, looking at Hermione, running her fingers through her hair again, and pulling out a few strands.  
  
"The rest were all right, but I did have few boils on my face from Lavender's potion, which took quite a while to heal, mind you." Jesabelle said. "But don't worry, Snape already gave me a potion to use to start helping me heal. There are just a few more cuts along my arms and back, but I should be fine in a day or two."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"For you Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T. we shall test your defense skills, by allowing you to duel with a Ministry official!" Tonks said excitedly.  
  
It was Friday; the last day of the N.E.W.T.s. Jesabelle had already finished with her Divination testing and was sitting with the rest in Great Hall, which was once again transformed into a huge classroom.  
  
They were all sitting in rows of chairs, Tonks at the front.  
  
"We will call five of you, and you five, along with one Ministry official." Tonks said, gesturing to six Ministry officials, four men, and two women. Harry eyed them curiously; they all looked like they had a long day. The bell rang.  
  
"All right. Lavender Brown, Paravati Patil, Padma Patil, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. You go with Auror Baker." Tonks said, gesturing to one of the men, who was tall, with brownish-reddish hair, and blue eyes. "Harry Potter, Jesabelle Potter, Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy, and Dean Thomas, you shall go with me, and then the next five will be called by Auror Conner." Tonks continued, looking at a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair with blonde highlights, obviously a new person to the squad.  
  
All the assigned people got up from their seats and headed towards the Auror they were supposed to be tested by.  
  
Harry and Jesabelle sighed as they followed Tonks into a room to the right.  
  
"Just great." Harry mumbled, "Malfoy and Parkinson."  
  
Tonks held the door open for them and they entered an empty classroom, with only one rectangular table with six chairs positioned behind them. Behind the chairs, stood a closet. Tonks closed the door and placed a locking charm on it, ensuring that no one will interrupt.  
  
"Good." She said. "Everyone, why don't you take a seat in those chairs and I will explain any other instructions that I have to give you."  
  
They all reluctantly took a seat at the table, Dean Thomas being a shield, sitting in between Malfoy and Harry. Jesabelle gave him a sympathetic look and returned her attention towards Tonks, who was behind them, removing a large box and placing it on the table.  
  
"For you N.E.W.T.s, like I explained, you will duel me, but, as an addition, and a little surprise, we will allow you to duel each other!" Tonks said, clapping her hands together. Harry looked at Jesabelle and she gave him a small smile of reassurance.  
  
Noticing the silence in the room, Tonks turned her attention back to the box, and removed the cover, pulling out armor-like body pads, and handing each student a set, which consisted of pads to cover the chest and back, pads for their legs, and a helmet, which were all white with black lining.  
  
"As a safety precaution, you must all wear this protective gear." Tonks said. "Wouldn't want any of you getting seriously injured."  
  
I can think of a few people I would like to seriously injure, Harry thought as he eyed Draco from the corner of his eye.  
  
"Now, I will pair you with the people you will duel for the second part of this test." Tonks said, removing a piece of parchment from the pocket of her robe. "Let's see, Dean, you and I shall duel, Harry, you shall duel Draco, and Jesabelle will duel Ms. Parkinson."  
  
Harry and Jesabelle eyed their duel partners with the utmost disgust. Draco and Pansy reflected those looks back to them.  
  
"Now, for the first part of this test you will duel me, and the second, your partners. I will be watching out for speed and precision as you dodge or repel the spells thrown at you, and judge the type of spells you shall use on each other." Tonks said. "Jesabelle Potter, you are first."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
An hour later, the students, now clad in their protective gear, watched excitedly as Tonks finished dueling Malfoy.  
  
"Wonderful job Mr. Malfoy, I must say, I am impressed!" Tonks said as Draco seated himself back at the table. "Maybe the occupation of Auror would suit you best."  
  
No, Draco thought sadly, that's not possible Tonks, you see, the only occupation I will be taking anywhere in the future will be as your enemy, a Death Eater.  
  
Jesabelle turned her head and caught a glint of sadness in his eyes. Did she imagine it? Then his grey eyes returned to its cold state.  
  
"Now Dean, you and I shall duel again, beginning the second part of this test. Then Harry and Draco, then Jesabelle and Pansy." Tonks said, flipping her jet black hair over her shoulder, she had been keeping that look lately.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Right. Harry and Draco, you're up next." Tonks said as Dean seated himself back at the table. Tonks walked over and sat on the empty chair to Jesabelle's right, removing a piece of parchment that had their names, and pulling out a quill and bottle of ink from her robe pocket. How she managed to keep them in her robe without breaking, Jesabelle didn't know.  
  
"Go on, you both know what to do." Tonks said, muttering a spell Jesabelle did not understand. "It's so they don't injure us in the process." Tonks whispered to her, and Jesabelle smiled.  
  
Harry and Draco stood in front of each other, stretching their arms to their right and took five steps back, bringing their wands in front of their faces, and pointing them towards each other, arms straight.  
  
"One." Tonks said, "Two."  
  
Harry mentally ran through all the spells he knew, he had to beat Malfoy, for Jesabelle. But what he didn't know was that Malfoy was doing, and thinking, the same thing.  
  
"Three!" Tonks said.  
  
"Furnunculus!" Draco yelled.  
  
"Incantatem Protego!" Harry yelled at the same time. The force of the spells colliding forced them backward. Malfoy hitting the wall, and Harry hitting the invisible shield Tonks placed around them. They both got up and Harry yelled, "Expelliarmus!" forcing Draco back into the wall.  
  
Draco got up and ran towards him yelling, "Stupefy!"  
  
Harry was thrown backwards and he hit the wall on the left.  
  
Meanwhile, outside the room in the Great Hall, Hermione and Ron listened in terror to the thumps coming from the room Harry and Jesabelle were in.  
  
"You think they're all right?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Of course, Hermione, I mean, it can't be that bad." Ron said, reassuringly squeezing her hand.  
  
"Tarantellegra!" Harry yelled, making Draco's feet dance.  
  
"Argh! Engorgio!" Draco yelled, making Harry's left legs swell.  
  
"Densaugeo!" Harry yelled, making Draco's front teeth grow larger.  
  
"All right! Enough!" Tonks yelled, moving in between them. "Very well done, both of you." Tonks said, giving them each a vial of potion as they sat down. "Drink that, it will reverse the spells that you have been attacked with."  
  
Harry and Draco downed their potions, and Harry's leg stopped swelling, and Draco's teeth shrunk back to normal size.  
  
"Good, now Jesabelle and Pansy, you're up." Tonks said as Jesabelle and Parkinson rose from their seats and moved to the middle of the room.  
  
Jesabelle and Parkinson imitated Harry and Draco's earlier movements as Tonks began the countdown again.  
  
"One. Two. Three!" Tonks yelled.  
  
"Pertificus Totalus!" Pansy yelled.  
  
Jesabelle ducked and rolled to her left as the spell missed her.  
  
"Wonderful maneuver Jesabelle!" Tonks said.  
  
"Stupefy!" Jesabelle yelled.  
  
"Incantatem Protego." Pansy yelled, reflecting the spell back to Jesabelle, making her fly into the wall.  
  
"Furnunculus!" Jesabelle yelled, pointing the wand at the right angle, hitting Pansy's face.  
  
"Argh, my face!" Pansy screamed, touching her boils. "Incendio!"  
  
Jesabelle's padding caught fire and she quickly struggled with it for while until she put it out with water from the tip of her wand. "Difindo!" she yelled.  
  
Pansy's chest padding split in two and fell off, along with the padding on her back. Pansy shot her a look of venom and yelled, "Deletrius!"  
  
Jesabelle got up, just as her own chest and back padding disintegrated. Dusting the burnt ashes off her uniform, she turned to Pansy.  
  
"All right girls, that's enough!" Tonks yelled, but none of them would listen.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Pansy yelled, throwing Jesabelle off guard and through the door, into the Great Hall, gasps rising from the rest of the students that were seated there, as Jesabelle landed on her back five feet away from the door, her head pounding. "What's wrong Jesabelle? Angry because you lost your little boyfriend?" Pansy yelled, looking at Draco.  
  
"That's enough Parkinson!" Draco yelled.  
  
"Oh gods!" Ginny yelled, running towards Jesabelle, who was struggling to pull herself to her feet.  
  
"Ms. Parkinson that will do!" Tonks yelled, running out of the classroom.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Jesabelle yelled, forcing Pansy into Tonks, Harry, and Draco, who were all heading out of the classroom at the same time.  
  
"Jesabelle that's enough!" Hermione said.  
  
The rest of the seventh years closed around the front of the great Hall, where the duel was still taking place.  
  
"Five galleons to say that Pansy will win." A Hufflepuff said to Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin.  
  
"No, I'm putting my money on Jesabelle, she's a very good dueler, quite the challenge." Zabini replied.  
  
"You've dueled her before?" the Hufflepuff asked, awe struck.  
  
"Yeah, I sure did. She's got a lot of fire." Zabini said.  
  
Ron, who was standing in front of them, heard every word. Dueled her before? Zabini? How is that possible? Ron set the thought aside as he heard Pansy yell "Petrificus Totalus!"  
  
Jesabelle dodged the spell again, but lost her wand in the process. Three male Ministry officials grabbed her by the arms as she struggled free.  
  
Hermione, Ron, Luna, Harry, Neville, and even Draco watched, shocked at the sudden show of enmity between to two girls.  
  
Tonks and another male Ministry official grabbed Pansy's arms as she struggled as well. Tonks and the official did not have much trouble with her.  
  
"Don't let her go!" one of the officials said.  
  
"She's wriggling around too much. Someone stun her!" the other man said.  
  
The three male officials were having trouble with Jesabelle, who was struggling with all her might to break free from their grasp, so she could get at Parkinson.  
  
"Don't stun her!" a voice suddenly said.  
  
The crowd turned towards the voice, being met by Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape at tow.  
  
"Ms. Parkinson, I would like to speak with you in my office." Snape said.  
  
Parkinson shook herself free from Tonks and the official, her head up high, strutting past Jesabelle, grinning at her with satisfaction. Jesabelle tried to lunge at her, but the other officials held her back.  
  
"I would also like to have a word with you, Jesabelle." Dumbledore said. "Minerva, would you kindly restore order here?" Dumbledore asked, turning to McGonagall.  
  
"Of course Albus." McGonagall said, rushing towards Tonks, as Jesabelle broke free from the officials and following Dumbledore.  
  
Harry and the others looked at each other and hesitated, until finally deciding to follow them.  
  
"All right, a draw, give me my galleons back." Zabini said to the Hufflepuff.  
  
The Hufflepuff laughed and handed Zabini back his five galleons.  
  
Draco stood there, in the middle of the scene, while everyone else scrambled back into order around him, wondering why Jesabelle fought back when Parkinson set up the bait, himself.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Wow! This is my longest chapter! Anyways, I hope you all like it! I mean, like yeah, it was my longest chapter! Please read and review! I love you all!  
  
Coming Up......  
  
Chapter 25: What happens after the incident at the Great Hall, why Parkinson picked a fight with Jesabelle, and Jesabelle sneaks out again for another meeting with Dumbledore in the late hours of the night.  
  
Stay Tuned! 


	25. The Internal Struggle Ends

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 25: The Internal Struggle Ends  
  
Jesabelle wiped the blood trickling from her lip as she followed Dumbledore into his office. Closing the door behind her, she stood before him as he took a seat behind his desk, eyeing her carefully.  
  
"Now, Ms. Potter, would you like to explain what happened in the Great Hall?" Dumbledore asked, putting his hands together.  
  
"Simply a duel that spun out of control, Headmaster." Jesabelle answered, putting her hands behind her.  
  
"Would you like to tell me why it spun out of control?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Old flames got in the way of my better judgment, Headmaster." Jesabelle replied. "Plus, she blasted me through the door. She started it." She claimed, sounding childish.  
  
"I see, and what did she say that provoked you so much?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Jesabelle looked at him. Now THAT was a pretty personal question to ask. She looked away. Dumbledore always made her feel like he could see right through her.  
  
"Is it about Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others were quickly heading towards the Headmaster's office, when they ran into Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Professor." Hermione said. "Where's Jesabelle?"  
  
"She is currently speaking with the Headmaster. I would prefer that you all head back to Gryffindor Tower and wait until she is finished." McGonagall said.  
  
Harry and the others had no choice but to turn back head to the Common Room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle walked into the Gryffindor Common Room about thirty minutes later, being met with whispers and pats on the back.  
  
"Quite the show Jesabelle!" Dean Thomas said.  
  
"Never seen a duel like that since Harry dueled Malfoy in our second year." Seamus said.  
  
"Never knew you had so much rage!" Colin Creevey said as his brother, Dennis, nodded in agreement.  
  
"Thanks guys, I think." Jesabelle said, smiling nervously as she sat in an armchair, facing Harry.  
  
"So, what's the punishment?" Ron asked.  
  
"No punishment." Jesabelle said.  
  
"No punishment?" Hermione asked, astonished.  
  
"None." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Why?" Harry asked.  
  
"I guess McGonagall and Dumbledore just let me slide with a warning. They said they would speak to the Ministry officials and clear everything up. Besides, knowing Slytherin, Snape probably didn't give Parkinson detention anyway. He's probably congratulating her for succeeding in provoking me right now in the dungeons!" Jesabelle said.  
  
"True." Neville said.  
  
"Well, at least you're not in that much trouble." Ginny said.  
  
"So there's nothing to worry about." Neville replied.  
  
"Anyway," Ron said, "good show Jesabelle, I never knew you were good at dueling. I always thought you'd get hit in the first round."  
  
"Gee, thanks Ron." Jesabelle said sarcastically.  
  
"I'm just joking, you know, good job." Ron quickly said, smiling nervously at Hermione, who was giving him the death glare.  
  
"I agree with him Jesabelle." Ginny said. "You sure gave Parkinson a run for her money.'  
  
"It's about time someone showed her that she isn't the center of the universe." Hermione said, nodding.  
  
"You have skills, dear cousin." Harry said, grinning.  
  
"You know how to dodge spells without even using spells." Neville said.  
  
"Thanks." Jesabelle said, smiling at them.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Later that day, Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna, and Hermione were seated at a secluded section in the library, away from the prying ears of the other students there. Ron said he wanted to talk to all of them about something important. Jesabelle was up in the Hospital Wing, her minor wounds being nursed by Madame Pomfrey, who was absolutely exploding at how careless she and Harry could be sometimes.  
  
"Why did you want to talk to us, Ron?" Luna asked, "And where's Jesabelle?"  
  
"Jesabelle's upstairs with Madame Pomfrey. I wanted to talk to all of you because I heard something related to her that bothered me." Ron said, looking each of them in the eye.  
  
"What did you hear, Ron?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, when Jesabelle was blasted through that door, and began dueling Parkinson again, I heard Zabini and a Hufflepuff talking about her." Ron said.  
  
"What did they say?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, knowing the intensity of the duel, they were betting on who would win, but that's beside the point." Ron said, hastily looking at Harry. "Then Zabini said that she's quite the challenge."  
  
"What?" Harry said.  
  
"Wait, there's more." Ron said. "Then the Hufflepuff asked him if he had dueled her before, and Zabini said yes, saying, in his words, 'She's got a lot of fire.' And that she's a good dueler."  
  
Ron looked at them questioningly.  
  
"How could Zabini duel Jesabelle, when she just came to Hogwarts this year? I highly doubt they met beforehand." Ginny said.  
  
"I don't know." Ron said. "But tonight, I have a feeling she's going to try and sneak out again, on another one of those meetings."  
  
"She sure has been sneaking out a lot more for those meetings lately." Hermione said, sighing.  
  
"We should follow her." Neville said, while Luna nodded.  
  
"I already thought of that." Ron said.  
  
"Well, I supposed you'll be needing my invisibility cloak, right?" Harry asked, grinning.  
  
"You got it, Harry." Ron said.  
  
"But how will you know when she will leave her dorm?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'll just stake it out around the Heads' Dorm." Ron said.  
  
"Wow, Ron, good job, mean, you actually thought this through, instead of lunging straight forward without thinking." Neville said teasingly, "Congratulations mate, we're proud of you".  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked innocently, as the others laughed, Neville and Harry grinning broadly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At eight o'clock that night, after dinner at the Great Hall, Harry handed Ron his invisibility cloak in the boys' dorm.  
  
"Just be careful mate, from what I hear, there have been more and more teachers patrolling these days." Harry said.  
  
"Don't worry Harry, if I get caught, I'll just say that I was doing my rounds. I am a Prefect you know." Ron said.  
  
"Good luck, Ron." Harry said. "We'll be waiting in the Common Room for the update."  
  
Ron smiled and was about to pull on the cloak when Harry spoke again, grinning.  
  
"Oh and another thing Ron," he said, "don't fall asleep."  
  
Ron nodded, returned Harry's grin, and pulled on the cloak, vanishing from sight. Harry walked out of the boys' dorm occasionally and opened the portrait, walking out, so that Ron may follow him. Ron safely got out and stuck his hand out of the cloak, giving Harry the thumbs up. Harry shivered slightly at Ron's floating hand but nonetheless nodded, silently wishing him luck a second time.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron's head was drooping. He had already been there for four hours. It was midnight, and he didn't notice any shift in normality in the corridor, except that Nearly Headless Nick glided through the wall he was leaning on, and flew right through him, giving him quite the scare. He still shuddered at the thought.  
  
Maybe my hunch was wrong, he thought, maybe I should turn in, I mean, it's late. Any later than this, and Snape will find an invisible snoring student at the side. He chuckled silently. I guess it wouldn't be too bad, maybe I'll scare him into thinking there's some creature after him. Ron's train of thought continued.  
  
Or maybe she had an invisibility cloak. No, that can't be possible, they're supposed to be rare, and I don't think that Harry's family would have more than one at a time.  
  
Or..no, that can't be. Maybe she was hunting for blood; she was a vampire after all. Ron suddenly shivered. He didn't like the idea that Jesabelle could be lurking anywhere nearby, fangs bared. He shivered again. It was weird enough as it was, hearing all those things about her from other people. He thought about what Blaise Zabini had said earlier.  
  
"She's a very good dueler, quite the challenge. She's got a lot of fire."  
  
What did that mean?  
  
Ron waited a few more minutes, shaking his head, downing the contents of a vial he removed from his robe. Hermione handed it to him, telling him to drink it every other hour, to keep him awake. Good old Hermione, his girlfriend.  
  
He really had to stop thinking too much like that a time, his head was already starting to hurt a little. Besides, N.E.W.T.s were over. His brain was supposed to be taking a vacation right now. At least, until Hermione would start badgering him about the job he was going to take after they finished school, which will probably be very soon. He loved Hermione, but sometimes, he could do without the brain strain.  
  
He was about to call it a night when around one in the morning, the portrait of the dorm opened, and Jesabelle stepped out, looking up and down the corridor, then walking down to her right, and taking the staircase down to the corridor below.  
  
Ron stood up, adjusting the cloak, and walked a few feet behind her, making sure that he was keeping the same pace as her. He knew she would find it suspicious if she kept hearing footsteps that didn't match her own.  
  
A few minutes later, Jesabelle reached the gargoyle and whispered the password, "Honeydukes Chocolate", and walked up the stairs, Ron following closely. Jesabelle increased her pace and opened the door to Dumbledore's office, stepping inside quickly, and closing the door behind her. Ron got caught on the cloak several times while walking up the stairs and was locked out of the room when Jesabelle suddenly closed the door.  
  
Ron cursed silently under his breath and stuck his ear close to the door. At first he could only hear shuffling. Funny, they didn't put a silencing spell. Then he heard voice. But the words were slightly muffled by the door.  
  
"I can't stay here." He heard Jesabelle.  
  
She was pacing the room. He could tell; he could hear her frenzied steps.  
  
"And why not?" Ron heard Dumbledore ask.  
  
"There have been more sightings!" Jesabelle screamed. "More Death Eaters have been seen! Things are becoming more dangerous around here!"  
  
"Calm down, Jesabelle." Dumbledore said, soothingly.  
  
"I can't Headmaster!" she screamed. "He's getting closer to finding me, I can feel it. I can't stay here. I won't stay here any longer. I will not risk putting Harry and the rest of them in danger."  
  
What are they talking about? Ron thought, his eyes widening. Who's after Jesabelle?  
  
"Where will you go if you leave then, Jesabelle?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I don't know." He heard Jesabelle say, recognizing the confusion in her voice. "I'll be the bait! I'll lead him away from here!"  
  
"You know that could ultimately lead to your capture." Dumbledore said.  
  
"What choice do I have?" Jesabelle asked, and for the first time, Ron could sense the stress in her voice.  
  
"You can stay here." Dumbledore answered.  
  
"And what, wait?" Jesabelle yelled.  
  
"I know you're stressed out about this, Jesabelle, but you have to think this through. You shouldn't resort to rational thought." Dumbledore said.  
  
"But it isn't safe enough here anymore!" Jesabelle said. "Even you know that he has his ways of getting inside the school. Remember what happened with the Goblet of Fire?"  
  
Ron pressed his ear even harder into the door. What did she know about the goblet? Sure, Harry and the other told her about what happened in their fourth year, but by the sound of her voice, it seemed like she knew more behind it than they did.  
  
"Yes, I remember fully well." Dumbledore said.  
  
"And when Harry was having those terrible dreams? When he could reach into Harry's mind?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Yes." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Exactly, I rest my case. It is not safe here for me anymore." Jesabelle said.  
  
"But running away is not the answer." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Then what do you propose I do, Headmaster?" Jesabelle asked. "Just sit here and wait until he makes his next move? No, I refuse."  
  
"I am not asking you to just let it go, I'm just saying that just charging out there the way you plan to will have disastrous results." Dumbledore said.  
  
"But, things are so confused, Headmaster." Jesabelle said. "I grow more afraid as everyday ends. And what about the Ministry? Word will leak out about the truth. You and I both know that the fact that I am here is pretty much against the law."  
  
Against the law? Now Ron really was confused. He continued to listen, wondering how Dumbledore could keep his cool when Jesabelle was practically bouncing off the walls.  
  
"And what about Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville?" Jesabelle asked. "They're going to find out the truth soon, and when they do, all hell will break loose. I don't want to risk losing them."  
  
What is she hiding? What truth? Ron was getting more and more frustrated at not being able to figure this puzzle out.  
  
"Why do you wish to leave so much, Jesabelle?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I do not want to put you and the rest of them in more danger." Jesabelle said, stamping her foot on the ground.  
  
"That is not the only reason Jesabelle." Dumbledore said.  
  
Silence filled the room, and Ron knew that Dumbledore had hit a soft spot.  
  
"Is it because of Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"You already know the answer to that question, Headmaster." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Do you think you can escape the pain and heartbreak if you run?" Dumbledore asked gently. "Running away will just lead you straight to him. It would be like offering Harry and yourself on a silver platter to him."  
  
By then Ron understood. This HE they were taking about. It was Voldemort. Voldemort was after Jesabelle. But why? And this thing with this truth, and things being against the law that she was here. She wanted to leave, so she could protect them. It made more sense now.  
  
"Staying here like this applies the same concept." Jesabelle said, and Ron knew that she was sad.  
  
"But at least here, you both have a better chance of standing against him." Dumbledore said. "Now get some sleep, you need it."  
  
Ron backed away from the door and bolted down the stairs before Jesabelle opened the door. He had heard enough, now it was time to tell the others.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle sadly walked down the corridor back to her room, realizing she was crying. She wiped her tears away, frustrated with her meeting with Dumbledore. She couldn't stat. She just couldn't.  
  
She reached the dorm a minute later and walked in after muttering the password.  
  
The fire crackled merrily in the fireplace of the Common Room. Jesabelle looked into the fire, lost in thought.  
  
She was about to turn in, when she heard sounds coming from Draco's room. She quietly crept up and surprisingly, his door was slightly open. She looked through and was hit with a sight. There, against the wall, Draco Malfoy was kissing Pansy Parkinson and touching her all over. She turned away, her eyes burning with tears.  
  
Before they could realize that the door was slightly open, she ran into her room, silently closing the door, placing a locking and silence charm on it.  
  
She leaned against the door, sobbing loudly. She slid down and landed with a plop on the ground, holding her knees, the tears flowing freely. She screamed, throwing her head back.  
  
She got up and pounded the wall, thankful for the silencing charm. She continued until her knuckles were red.  
  
This was it, he was over it, and he never loved her. He was kissing the girl she fought with just hours ago! Draco's words floated back into her mind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
You are of no use to me Potter. What we 'had' was nothing short of an act to get you in bed with me.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco stopped kissing Parkinson and whispered heavily into her ear, "Good job provoking Potter today. I'm proud of you."  
  
"Do I get a reward?" she asked, batting her eye lashes.  
  
"You get the trophy." Draco said, sneering.  
  
He hated this. He hated Parkinson. He hated himself. He loved Jesabelle and here he was, kissing and touching Parkinson. The actions were enough to make him sick, but he had to do it. He had a feeling he was being watched. He had to convince the other Slytherins that he really didn't have anything with Jesabelle, so here he was. He didn't want to raise any suspicions. And, he was doing this because he was trying to convince himself that there really wasn't anything there with Jesabelle. But, as much as he tried, he couldn't agree with that.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I HATE YOU!" Jesabelle screamed. "YOU WERE SO STUPID TO BELIEVE HIM JESABELLE! YOU GIT! YOU BELIEVED HIM! LOOK AT WHAT HE'S DOING!"  
  
Jesabelle had reached the pinnacle of her pain. She had to leave, and Dumbledore wouldn't be able to stop her. At that moment, she hated the world, she hated her mother for leaving her, she hated Malfoy, she hated Parkinson, she hated Hogwarts, but most of all, she hated herself.  
  
She lay against the wall, hands in her hair, sobbing even more.  
  
"I hate you Draco Malfoy." She whispered into the night. "I hate you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
How's that for drama? So sorry to my reviewers that I haven't been updating as much as you would like. But here it is! Hope you enjoyed it! Please read and review.  
  
Coming Up...... Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 26: Jesabelle leaves Hogwarts and her biggest secret will be revealed. 


	26. A Piece of the Puzzle Revealed

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 26: A Piece of the Puzzle Revealed  
  
Ron ran quickly down the corridor and up to the Gryffindor Tower. He couldn't waste time. The others needed to know what happened. They needed to know that Jesabelle could possibly in trouble.  
  
He skidded as he turned the corner and screamed the password at the Fat Lady.  
  
"Do calm down!" the Fat Lady said, opening to allow him in.  
  
Ron walked into the Common Room quickly, breathing heavily. Harry and the others, except for Luna, who was in her own house, were seated in their spot next to the fire. Seeing Ron, they all got up.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione said, running to him. "Are you all right? What happened?"  
  
"I'm all right 'Mione." Ron said.  
  
"Sit down mate." Harry said, motioning toward an armchair.  
  
Ron gratefully plopped down and caught his breath, which was beginning to slow.  
  
"What happened, Ron?" Hermione asked again, watching her boyfriend with a worried expression.  
  
"Jes, and Dumbledore, and.." Ron mumbled, drifting off, still trying to catch his breath.  
  
"Just start from the beginning Ron." Ginny said.  
  
"All right." Ron said. "I followed Jesabelle when she headed towards Dumbledore's office. She was too fast and she closed the door before I could slip in." He paused. "Then I stuck my ear to the door so I could hear them. Jesabelle seemed worried. She kept saying that she couldn't stay here, at Hogwarts any longer. She just kept saying a bunch of things that didn't make sense. And then she said that he was going to find her soon."  
  
"He? Who's this he?" Neville asked.  
  
"It may be some sort of wild guess, but I think it might be Dumbledore." Ron said. "But there's even more."  
  
The rest looked at Ron, shocked. Ron continued.  
  
"She was frantic, stressed, confused, and all at the same time. She was practically screaming at Dumbledore. She kept saying that she couldn't risk putting us in danger. But Dumbledore kept saying that running away would eventually get her captured."  
  
"What?" Neville asked.  
  
"Let him finish Neville." Ginny said, putting a trembling hand on his arm.  
  
"And then she said that some sort of truth will be revealed. The truth about her will be revealed. Then she talked about the Goblet of Fire, and in our fifth year, when Harry had those dreams and when Voldemort could reach into his mind." He stopped again, recollecting his thoughts. "Then she said that staying here would be like offering herself and you, Harry, to Voldemort on a silver platter." Ron stopped again, and looked at Harry.  
  
Hermione was pale. Ginny was trembling slightly, Neville putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. Harry was staring into the fire, the color slowly draining from his face.  
  
"It gets worse." Ron continued, looking at the rest of them. "She said that being here is pretty much against the law."  
  
"Against the law?" Hermione asked.  
  
Ron nodded in response.  
  
"Things make more sense now." Neville said, standing up. "Didn't I tell you? I told all of you that there was something wrong about this whole thing with Jesabelle. There were things that Jesabelle was hiding from us."  
  
"What are you trying to say Neville?" Harry asked softly, looking away from the fire.  
  
"Put all of the pieces of the puzzle together Harry." Neville said. "I hate to say this, but from what Ron said, it sounds like Jesabelle might be a Death Eater."  
  
"A Death Eater!" Harry screamed, jumping up from his chair.  
  
"Quiet down Harry, anyone could hear you." Ginny said, tugging at his arm and pulling him down into the chair.  
  
"It makes sense Harry, I mean; her being here against the law is enough to support the theory." Neville said.  
  
Harry stayed silent for a while and cast a glance at everyone else. He knew that they all agreed with Neville, and, he hated to admit, he did too.  
  
"Even if she is a Death Eater," Harry began, "what's she doing here?"  
  
"She could have wanted to finish her schooling here." Hermione said. "I don't think she would be working for Voldemort."  
  
"But why is Voldemort after Jesabelle in the first place?" Ginny asked. "I mean, sure, when a Death eater runs, he looks for them, but it seems like he's been trying a lot harder than most people would think just to find Jesabelle."  
  
"Ginny's right." Ron said. "What is it about Jesabelle that makes her so important to Voldemort?"  
  
"I don't know." Hermione said.  
  
"Hermione's right on one thing though." Neville said.  
  
"And what's that, Neville?" Harry asked.  
  
"She can't be working for Voldemort." Neville said. "Why say she wants to protect us? Why say she wants to leave?"  
  
"She could have said that to throw people off." Ron said.  
  
"But in front of Dumbledore?" Ginny asked. "He would see right through the charade."  
  
"But he didn't realize it with Moody though." Hermione said. "The same thing could very well happen again."  
  
"I don't understand!" Harry said.  
  
"Neither do we, Harry." Ginny said.  
  
"But even if she was working for Voldemort, she could have lead Harry away from Hogwarts anytime. She could have killed him anytime." Hermione said.  
  
"That's right." Ginny said, nodding her head.  
  
"But what if the dark Lord has something bigger planned?" Ron asked.  
  
"Then why put on the whole 'I want to protect Harry and the others' act?" Neville asked.  
  
"I don't know." Ron said, putting his face in his hands. "I just don't know."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle sat there, trying to recollect herself. She didn't know how long she sat there, sobbing, but she knew that if she was going to take action, that it was going to take careful strategy to do so. She knew what she had to do. She knew she had to leave Hogwarts.  
  
She got up from where she was sitting and wiped her tears away, forcing the vision of Draco and Pansy together away from her mind. She couldn't let the events that took place earlier cloud her thoughts.  
  
She sat on the edge of her bed. Leaving Hogwarts tonight is what Dumbledore would expect, and it would be way too suspicious. She wanted to see Harry and the others first before she left. She couldn't bring herself to leave without looking at them one last time. No, she would have to leave tomorrow night. She would head north. It was rumored that Voldemort was somewhere up in that direction. She would go over there and divert Voldemort away from Harry and the rest of them.  
  
That wasn't as good as plan as she would have gone with, but it was the only thing that she could think of. Unless, she could head north, but not to Voldemort, she would force him to change his search parties and force them up north once word got out that she was gone. She doubted that it would take him long to figure that out. She secretly hoped that she wouldn't run into any trouble as she traveled. She didn't need the Ministry on her back, not yet anyways.  
  
She sighed and walked to her closet, opening it and looking around at her wardrobe, pointing out mentally which ones she will take on her trip. It was going to be a long trip if she was going to stay on the run, especially if the Ministry started to look for her. She would have to pack warm and light.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I say we pretend like we don't know anything." Hermione said. "Jumping up to her and asking questions about things we most likely shouldn't know about will probably end up terribly."  
  
"That's going to be hard, considering that we think that she's a Death Eater." Neville said.  
  
"We have to at least try Neville." Ron said. "We don't want an argument to break out. It would be all over the school."  
  
"And something like that will only provoke her even more into leaving." Ginny said.  
  
"Just act completely normal. Don't give off any sign that you might know something, and we'll see how she'll act around us tomorrow. Then we can think about what we're going to do about this whole thing." Harry said.  
  
"Why don't we just go to Dumbledore?" Ron asked.  
  
"Even if we do go to Dumbledore, do you think that he would really tell us what is going on?" Hermione replied. "He is probably keeping it all a secret too, especially since she's probably a Death Eater."  
  
"Let's just go back to our original plan, and take things from there." Harry said. "But be careful, all of you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was four or so in the morning. Pansy had left a few minutes earlier, and Draco felt like running to the toilet and spitting out the contents of his stomach, in hopes of removing Pansy's spit from his mouth. He already tried wiping his tongue with a towel, but with no luck.  
  
Finally giving up, he threw the towel aside and pulled on a new pair of boxers, rubbing the back of his neck and taking a moment to look out of his window. Maybe if I stare out into the sky long enough, my problems will disappear, he thought, shaking his head at his childish remark. He was really starting to lose it. The days spent without even the slightest bit of contact with Jesabelle was already starting to wake its toll on him. He really had to start getting out more, or keep himself busy, that way his thoughts wouldn't always drift to her.  
  
He had refused Pansy when she wanted to go all the way, not that he already had, it's just that Pansy wasn't Jesabelle, and the thought of actually doing it with Pansy sickened him enough to tempt him to run to toilet again. He had this bad feeling that Jesabelle knew about what happened with him and Pansy earlier. When he had refused, she decided to just lounge around. Her course of action completely drove Draco off the edge, and after threatening her, he finally got her out of the Dorm, talking with the occupant of the picture guarding the entrance, telling him that she should not be permitted into the dorm ever again.  
  
He sighed deeply and walked out of his room, pulling on a t-shirt and scanning the room. He knew that Jesabelle probably wasn't in her room, the door was open. He ran a hand through his hair and walked to the small library at the end of the Common Room, pulling back the shelf, leading him to the secret tower. He walked up the stone steps, shivering as his feet came in contact with the cold. I should start wearing socks when coming up here, he thought, I wonder where Jesabelle is tonight.  
  
He was almost at the top of the tower when he realized that in the window ahead, someone was sitting on the stone window sill. Draco then recognized the person to be Jesabelle. He leaned against the wall, hoping that Jesabelle hadn't head him coming up the steps. He peered around the corner and looked up at her.  
  
Gods, was she beautiful. The moonlight was shinning on her hair, making it shine with some angelic glow. She wasn't moving. Curious, Draco moved closer, against his better judgment. On a closer inspection, Draco realized that Jesabelle was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling, indicating she was deep in slumber. Draco sighed and ran a finger slowly across her cheek, feeling the electricity from the touch as it shot through his entire being, making him shiver down to the core, and just from a simple touch.  
  
It was then that he remembered how much he really cared about her. He remembered when he saw her for the first time at Flourish and Blotts. Sure, eh was physically attracted to her, which was what brought him to speak to her in the first place. But as he got to know as the year continued to pass, he really did fall in love with her. Years from now, people would probably say that it happened too fast. That they were too young to know exactly what true love was. But at that very moment, as he looked upon Jesabelle, he realized that he did know what true love was.  
  
Smiling at that thought, he was brought back to reality by a cool breeze that flew in through the window. Shivering, he realized Jesabelle would freeze out here, not to mention that she could fall out of the window. Shaking the thought away from his mind, he lifted Jesabelle up, carrying her down the stone steps.  
  
In a few minutes he pushed through the open door of her room and laid her down on her bed, remembering the incident at the Halloween Ball. He still didn't punish Marshall for that stunt. Sure, a while after the incident they discovered he was drunk, but that wasn't going to save him in the long run when Draco starts hunting him down.  
  
She wasn't wearing any shoes so he pulled the covers over her body and up to her chest, and closed the curtains of her window, still having that sinking feeling that someone was watching them.  
  
He was about to leave when he heard her talk in her sleep.  
  
"Mum?" Jesabelle whispered.  
  
Draco closed the door and sat in an armchair nearby her bed, watching her, knowing it best not to wake her.  
  
"No mum, he'll kill you!" she suddenly screamed. "Don't Mum! Call the Ministry! Send for help! Don't go! Don't leave me!"  
  
Draco stared at her, she was having nightmares again. She was dreaming about her mother's death. He was still debating over whether or not to wake her when Jesabelle suddenly screamed.  
  
"NOOOOO!" she cried. Then suddenly, she fell quiet, tears running down her cheeks, her eyes still closed.  
  
Draco was amazed that she didn't wake up; she must have had those dreams before. He watched her for a few more minutes, watching as her breathing returned to normal. When he was sure she wasn't going to have anymore dreams, he began to talk to her.  
  
"I know you can't hear me," he began, "I wish you could, but even then, I'm not sure you would even listen to me."  
  
He looked at her.  
  
"You don't know how hard it was to break up with you the way I did, you know that?" he asked, as if expecting an answer. "I wish I told you the truth. I am going to become a Death Eater, Jesabelle. I can't escape it, it's inevitable."  
  
He paused, wondering why he was doing this. He had to clear his mind. He had to say these things to her, even though she couldn't hear it.  
  
"My initiation is taking place either tomorrow or the day after. My mother has already sent a letter to Dumbledore, requesting that I return home, that I would be given my diploma, and that she is need of "medical assistance" and would like me to stay with her." Draco continued. "I wish I didn't have to. You don't know how much I want to be with you. The time spent without you is slowly killing me. I hate it. I hate the separation."  
  
He could feel tears forming in his eyes, but forced himself to remain strong; he could not lose composure, not when he already started.  
  
"I'm sorry. I am so sorry. So sorry that I would fight my own father to prove to you that I am sorry. I love you. I want to be with you. I want to grow old with you. I want to have children with you. I want so much with you." He paused, and looked away, wiping the tears that were already falling from his face. "Sadly, you will never know that."  
  
He sniffled and wiped away his tears, frustrated at his lack of composure. He got up and decided against kissing her on the forehead. He didn't want to go anywhere near her sleeping form, or he would have to resist crawling in and sleeping next to her and holding her against him.  
  
He looked at her one last time, and left the room, closing the door, and not looking back.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, Jesabelle woke up in her bed, wondering how she got there. I probably walked back here and crawled into bed and I don't remember, that sometimes happens, she thought. But she couldn't ignore the fact that she had an unusual dream, which involved Draco carrying her to her room, and talking to her. She could recall hearing a muffled voice as she slept. But she didn't understand what the person was saying. And she highly doubted that it was Draco. Even though another side of her believes it was. But she did dream about her mother's death last night. That, she wished she could ignore. Having those dreams always left her chilled and confused. Especially since she was going to put her plan into action tonight.  
  
She shook her head, trying to make sense of her scramble thoughts. She had to clear her mind if she was going to think about how much money she should bring on her trip. Then there was the problem of where she was going. She also had to think about how to disguise herself. She could handle the Death Eaters if they came after her. She eluded them before, she could do it again. Now, if the Ministry started up a search, then she had a piece of work on her hands.  
  
Let's just hope Harry and the others don't come out and search for me themselves, Jesabelle thought as she pulled on a pair of jeans and a black hooded pullover, sneakers adorning her feet. She tied her hair into a bun and sighed, looking at herself in the mirror.  
  
"Time to make an appearance." Jesabelle said, walking out of her room and down to the Great Hall. "Man, how long did I sleep?" Jesabelle asked herself. She walked down the corridor and saw Nearly Headless Nick glide through a wall.  
  
"Hello Sir Nick." Jesabelle said, smiling.  
  
"Oh hello Jesabelle." Nick said, returning her smile.  
  
"You don't happen to know what time it is, do you?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Why, it's already noon." Nick said.  
  
"Oh," Jesabelle said, surprised, "well, thank you then."  
  
"No problem, have a good day Jesabelle." Nick said.  
  
"All right, then, thank you, you too Nick." Jesabelle said, continuing her route to the Great Hall. I can't believe I overslept, she thought, walking into the Great Hall.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Ginny said, flagging Jesabelle down, pushing her away from her thoughts. She gave her a small smile and walked over to the table, sitting between her and Harry, since she saved her a space there.  
  
"Hello everyone." Jesabelle said, trying to sound as cheerful, even thought she wasn't.  
  
"Morning." Luna said. "Or afternoon, rather." She had begun sitting at the Gryffindor table, since everyone else took a liking to her there.  
  
"Oversleep?" Neville asked, eating a spoonful of pudding.  
  
"Sure did. I must have been tired." Jesabelle said, rolling up her sleeves and digging in to the plate of food Harry saved for her, missing the concerned glances Harry and the others gave her.  
  
"So, what's the schedule today?" Ron asked, trying to sound as normal as possible. Jesabelle didn't catch the hint.  
  
"Well, we already finished all of our N.E.W.T.s, and we have about a free week of school left. So I say, we just hang around and have fun." Ron answered. "You know, lazing around."  
  
"That sounds like a great idea, Ron." Jesabelle said, finishing her last spoonful of pudding.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They were sitting by another tree nearby the lake, laughing as them remembered old memories from their Hogwarts years.  
  
"It's great that you all have lots of memories from here." Jesabelle said, pasting on a smile that the others did not believe was real.  
  
"We have to admit, it is." Neville said, tripping Ron slightly, on purpose, sticking his foot out as Ron was walking by. Ron turned pink and glared at him while the others laughed.  
  
"Ginny and I are really going to miss it here, since we're graduating early with you guys with some other advanced sixth years." Luna said.  
  
"Yeah, so are we. It's a wonderful place to go to school; and an even better place to grow up in." Hermione said.  
  
"I'm really going to miss it." Ron said.  
  
"So will I." Jesabelle said softly, looking up at the castle, her expression portraying that of a lost person.  
  
Harry nodded and looked at the castle, carrying the same expression of his cousin, the others eyeing them with concern, sharing their emotions.  
  
They were soon interrupted when Colin Creevey came up to them and asked if he could take a picture of them, as a memoir. He was one of the fifty students chosen to graduate early.  
  
Harry and the others assembled in front of the tree; Harry holding Ginny, Hermione holding Ron, and Luna, Neville, and Jesabelle standing together in the middle. They all smiled as Colin counted to three with his fingers. The flash came, and Colin thanked them, promising to give them copies when he was able to print them.  
  
"Hey Harry!" Seamus said, running up to him with an oval-shaped ball in his hands.  
  
"Hey Seamus." Harry said, realizing the object in his hands was a football.  
  
"You guys want to play football?" Seamus asked as Dean and Justin made their way over to him. "We'll teach you how to play."  
  
"Oh wicked!" Ron said. "Harry told us all about it; I always wanted to try it. Let's go!"  
  
"Jolly good, Ron!" Dean said as they took their positions on the grassy field. The first team held Harry, Seamus, and Neville, while the second team held Justin, Dean, and Ron.  
  
"Ready, set," Seamus began. "Hut hut!"  
  
Seamus threw the ball back at Harry, who was quickly tackled by Ron, knocking the air out of him. The girls laughed, teasing Harry at being so slow.  
  
The game continued on for another hour, in which Hermione accidentally caught the ball and ran when Ron started running towards her. She ended up scoring a goal, which made Ginny, Luna, and Jesabelle cheer. After that, the girls joined the game as well. The game ended with Ron's team winning, with the help of Luna, who turned out to be a very good football player.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They headed to dinner early, and spent the rest of the night in the Common Room. Jesabelle said she wanted to finish reading a book she borrowed from the library and left around eight. Most of the Gryffindors turned in early. And by eleven, Harry and the others were the only ones left in the common room.  
  
"She didn't act differently." Hermione said, breaking the silence that settled over them ten minutes after the last Gryffindor headed up, wishing them a good night.  
  
"That's right." Neville said, staring in the fire.  
  
"But she did get this look on her face, you know, when she was staring at the castle." Ginny said.  
  
"Harry was wearing that look too." Luna said. Hermione invited her up to talk with them, since she was pretty much considered a Gryffindor by their house.  
  
"But Jesabelle had a different look. If you really observe it. Harry had this sort of expression that said that he was happy to have stayed here, and that he would miss it. Jesabelle had this look on that sort of made me feel like she thought she was saying some sort of silent goody- bye." Ginny said, but added quickly, "I could be wrong, it was just a feeling."  
  
"We can't be too careful." Harry said.  
  
"What do you think she's going to do?" Ron asked.  
  
"If I know my cousin, and I do, she's going to try and leave even though Dumbledore told her not to." Harry said.  
  
"But when?" Neville asked.  
  
"If I were her, I'd leave tonight." Harry said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle had lied about the book, and already felt guilty as she walked back to her dorm, even though it was a tiny lie.  
  
She walked into the Heads' Common Room and looked around, feeling like something was missing. She realized that some of the books in the small library were missing, and Draco's usual litter of parchment was no longer on one of the tables, and the house elves did not to clean up until midnight.  
  
She looked at Draco's door and realized, for the first time, that is was wide open. Curious, Jesabelle walked over to room, and discovered the room empty. Her eyes grew wide and she searched around the closets, in the bathroom, and the drawers of his desk. Everything was cleaned out. Nothing was left behind. Then, Jesabelle found a piece of parchment pinned to the wall next to the door frame.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ms. Jesabelle Potter,  
  
Your roommate, Draco Malfoy, has left Hogwarts at an earlier date, since his mother is ill at home, and requested him to return to accompany her. It was an emergency, and he left at once, sadly not being able to wish you a last farewell, for he will not be graduating with you and the other seventh years, due to his mother's illness. I was not able to tell you this in person, since I had other matters to deal with.  
  
Have a good evening.  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle read the note over and over again, growing slightly dizzy. Draco left? Already? Narcissa is ill?  
  
She didn't understand at first, and read the note again, line for line, slowly. Suddenly, it occurred to her. Narcissa really wasn't sick. Draco didn't go home. His initiation must be coming up, she thought. Of course, it would be too dangerous to graduate with the rest of the seventh years. There was usually a hoard of Ministry officials there as witnesses to the event. It would be way too risky to walk into the Great Hall with the Dark Mark on his arm. But, she thought, some people have already away with that.  
  
But it still didn't make sense. What are the Malfoys up to? What is Voldemort up to?  
  
She looked away from the note and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her, and leaning on it, sighing deeply.  
  
A minute later, she was in her room, loading a light back pack with clothes, small portions of foods that she got from the kitchens (a favor from Dobby), and a few book she wanted to take with her. She shrunk her Firebolt Armageddon, and placed it in a small pocket of her bag. She would leave everything behind.  
  
She began tidying up around the room; she didn't want to give anyone the impression that she left in a hurry. She was weird that way.  
  
It was midnight by the time she was ready to leave. She sat in front of the fireplace, going over her plan. She would leave the castle at one in the morning, when the teachers and the prefects ended their shifts. Then she would keep to the inner outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, and slip past Hagrid's hut. Then she would head up farther north, and stop at an old inn she read up about in a run down town, a few miles away from the coast. From there, she would formulate the next part of her plan. She would probably jump over to Ireland, and then keeping moving around Europe, leading Voldemort, and her father, away from Hogwarts.  
  
Yes, she knew her father was alive. She knew that he was looking for her too. She knew that that bastard when never stop looking, until he pulled her back into his dark web again, like he did so before.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"It seems sensible." Harry continued. "I mean, you can't prolong it, so then you leave the night after, when everyone thinks that everything is going back to normal."  
  
"Dumbledore would expect that." Neville said, looking at Harry.  
  
"But what can he do?" Harry asked. "He can't just lock her up in her dorm. He wouldn't want to imprison her like that. Dumbledore's better than that."  
  
"Harry's right." Ginny said, looking up at the clock, everyone following her gaze.  
  
"But what can we do?" Luna asked. "What if we're wrong and she doesn't leave tonight? We're going to have to explain why we ended up in front of her dorm at 12:30 in the morning."  
  
They continued arguing, until settling into a frustrated silence, watching the clock as it slowly ticked towards one o'clock.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At exactly one, Jesabelle gathered her things, gave the Common Room one last look, and left the Heads' Dorm, moving quickly. Luckily, she didn't meet anyone on the way, and my 1:10 A.M., she was heading out of the Entrance of the castle. Fudge long since removed the Aurors from the premises, since Hogsmeade residents were complaining about the loss of privacy. They already had enough of the so-called "false alarms".  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"That's it!" Harry said, getting up, "I'm going over there."  
  
"But Harry!" Ginny began.  
  
"No!" Harry said firmly, "The waiting is gnawing at me! I can't take it."  
  
Harry made his way to the portrait hole, Luna, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Neville following.  
  
They quickly made their way down the corridors toward the Heads' Dorm, looking around cautiously, just in case they ran into anyone that could cause them trouble.  
  
Five minutes later, Hermione muttered the password and they were searching the Common Room. Ginny and Ron hurriedly ran over to Jesabelle's room, while Hermione and Luna, checked Draco's room. The door was open to both rooms.  
  
"You guys!" Luna screamed.  
  
The others ran into Draco's room and Luna read the note to them.  
  
"Malfoy's gone?" Ron asked.  
  
"Jesabelle is too." Ginny said, walking in. She had not followed them into Draco's room, but remained behind in Jesabelle's.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"She's gone Harry." Ginny said, "No note, nothing, only a few things missing."  
  
They all looked at her, unwilling to believe what she had just said, their fears intensifying.  
  
"She ran you guys." Ginny said. "She ran.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle moved through the night, taking shelter in a bush on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. Since she was wearing black, she blended well with the surroundings.  
  
She gave the castle one final look, and continued, slithering past Hagrid's hut unnoticed, not bothering to wipe the tears that were falling down her face.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry raced out of the Heads' Dorm, sprinting down the stairs, as the others followed closely behind.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione yelled. "We have to get Dumbledore, or Tonks, or someone!"  
  
"No! By the time we get there she might be gone. We have to hurry. We can't lose her!" Harry yelled in response, running down another corridor, and down another staircase. You'll catch her, Harry told himself. It's no too late, you'll catch her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle was picking her way through the Forbidden Forest. It was too risky to light up her wand, since she was still fairly close to Hogwarts. She increased her pace, knowing that she had to be miles and miles away by dawn if her plan was going to work.  
  
She had gotten her pant leg stuck to a dead bush. As she struggled with it, she suddenly stopped, and quirked her head up.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others ran past the Great Hall, surprised no one had heard the commotion they were making. They slowed their pace and cautiously exited through the entrance doors, sticking to side, and closing it behind them.  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"Let's see if we can follow along the Forbidden Forest, maybe she's moving through there, so she won't be seen." Harry said.  
  
The all nodded and followed him, looking around once more, making sure that no one had followed them or were watching them right now.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle turned her head from side to side, listening to the silence. She sniffed the air. Being a vampire sure has its advantages, she thought. She smelled blood, familiar blood.  
  
She finally pulled her pants out of the bush and walked a little, looking around, reaching a clearing that was bathed in moonlight, the trees closing in around her, tight together.  
  
She sniffed the air again, and turned to her left.  
  
"I know you're out there Arnold." She said. "Come on out, don't be afraid."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others were slightly getting deeper into the forest. They were all too soon thinking about turning back when they heard Jesabelle's voice.  
  
Harry put a finger over his lips, signaling them to keep silent and made his way around the brush, right behind a tree that faced the clearing.  
  
They could see Jesabelle, her sack on the floor, her hooded cloak flying at the slight breeze. She looked around and pierced her surroundings.  
  
"Oh come on now," she said, "I won't bite, at least, not yet."  
  
Harry and the others looked at each other, wondering who Jesabelle was talking to.  
  
"I know you're not alone Rockwood." Jesabelle said, malice laced with her voice. "Did you forget that as a vampire, I can smell your blood? Obviously, it seems like you did."  
  
The rest eyed each other, carrying the look of a slight panic. Jesabelle could probably smell them too. She must have known they were there all along. They didn't anticipate that.  
  
Suddenly, the tree branches five feet in front of Jesabelle stirred, and three people came out, cloaked in black, wearing white masks. Death Eaters.  
  
Ron and Neville held Harry down from running in the middle of the clearing. It could end out badly if he did. They decided to wait and see what happens.  
  
"Now that wasn't so hard, now, was it?" Jesabelle sarcastically asked, grinning at them.  
  
"How do we know it's you?" the middle Death Eater asked, stepping forward, "And not another one of those Polyjuice concoctions."  
  
Jesabelle grinned. "Even IF someone was going to drink a potion and turn into me, there is only one way that you could tell that it really wasn't me. By my mark. We're all Death Eaters here, carrying the same mark, except, no potion can copy mine, for mine is original." And with that, pulled back the right sleeve of her cloak and extended her arm out, revealing the Dark Mark, the skull, with not only one, but two snakes protruding from its mouth. .  
  
Harry and the others gasped. Jesabelle really was a Death Eater.  
  
"So it is you." The middle Death Eater said, removing his mask and pulling the hood down revealing a middle-aged man with high cheek bones, brown hair, and dark brown eyes. Arnold Rockwood.  
  
"Yes, it is me. I was the only one given this mark, and you know that, Rockwood." Jesabelle said, bringing her arm down and restoring the sleeve. She looked behind him. "I see you didn't come alone. How's your brother, Augustus, doing in Azkaban since Harry and the rest of his friends put him there? Barely surviving or dead? I'd really like to know, it has been a bit more than a year. "  
  
"Cut it, Potter." Rockwood said, clearly irritated.  
  
"Oh, agitated, are we?" Jesabelle asked. "So what does my father want? Make it quick, I have places to go."  
  
"Your father wants you to return home." Rockwood said.  
  
"And why would my father want me to return home?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"He needs you." Rockwood said.  
  
"To do what?" Jesabelle asked, clearly amused, "Formulate more disgusting plans against the innocent? I don't think so."  
  
"He sent us here to tell you that he has a cure to your curse." Rockwood said.  
  
"Lies will not get you anywhere." Jesabelle said, her voice beginning to waver with anger.  
  
"He also told us to make sure that you came with us." Rockwood said.  
  
"Then why give me a choice?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Even if we have to take you back by force." Rockwood said, the other two Death Eaters raising their wands, pointing them at her.  
  
Jesabelle threw her head back and laughed, sending chills down the spines of Harry, and the others. Her laugh sounded so amused, so evil, so much like the Dark Lord himself.  
  
"Take me by force?" Jesabelle asked, smiling. "Really, you're still as hilarious as I remember you. What makes all three of you think that with your number you could take me? I have more knowledge of the Dark Arts than all three of you put together. Besides, why doesn't my father come after me himself? He is the Dark Lord after all, right?"  
  
At her last statement, Harry and others looked at each other, their eyes widening even more. Jesabelle was Voldemort's daughter.  
  
"You make it sound as if we should be afraid." Rockwood said, growing angry at how difficult the job was becoming.  
  
"Oh no, it's not that you should be afraid, you already are afraid. I can smell your fear, and it disgusts me." Jesabelle said, spitting the words out.  
  
"You're right Jesabelle." Rockwood said, surprising all of them. "But at least I admit to my fear. Unlike you, standing there, fighting your warring emotions. My, my, my, your father would be so disappointed."  
  
Jesabelle kept a straight face. Rockwood grinned.  
  
"Still not coming?" he asked. "Oh well, have it your way."  
  
The Death Eater closest to Harry's hiding place pointed his wand there.  
  
"Crucio!" Jesabelle yelled.  
  
The Death Eater dropped his wand and fell, twitching in pain. Jesabelle kicked his wand away from him and turned, pointing her wand at Rockwood. Harry and the others watched, surprised that she could perform the Cruciatus Curse.  
  
"You know how painful it is Rockwood, especially when someone with a high level of magical power casts it upon you." Jesabelle said. "It's sheer torture."  
  
Jesabelle didn't notice that the other Death Eater was behind her, wand up, ready to stun her. Harry couldn't handle it anymore; he ran out and lunged at the Death Eater, bringing him to the ground.  
  
Rockwood lunged himself at Jesabelle, who was distracted at Harry's sudden appearance. He slammed her to the ground, while the other Death Eater that was under the Cruciatus Curse picked up his wand and tried to stun Ron, who had followed after Harry, as did the others, missing as he did so.  
  
Neville pulled Rockwood off Jesabelle and punched him in the face as Hermione and Luna handled a death Eater, while Ginny and Harry handled the other.  
  
Jesabelle got up to her feet and retrieved her wand. Ginny was pushed back by a Death Eater, another one about to stun her.  
  
"Ginny!" Jesabelle screamed, picking her up, and shoving her out of the way, as the Death Eater yelled, "Expelliarmus!" Jesabelle flew forward and hit a tree, falling backward to the ground.  
  
Luna, Harry, and Neville were dueling one Death Eater, while Ron and Ginny were dueling the other, Rockwood was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Jesabelle pulled herself up, her head spinning from the sudden blow. Hermione was thrown back by a stunning spell. Jesabelle stood up, her eyesight blurry. She didn't notice that Rockwood was behind her. The other Death eaters were already being pushed back into the forest.  
  
Harry was dueling the Death eater when he noticed Rockwood.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Harry screamed. "Look out!"  
  
Rockwood was about to hit Jesabelle in the head when a sudden flash of red light threw him backward into the tangles of the forest.  
  
Jesabelle looked up and saw Dumbledore, towering over them, Tonks at his side.  
  
"Dumbledore!" Luna said.  
  
Rockwood and the death eaters took the chance of distraction and ran.  
  
"No!' Jesabelle screamed. "They're getting away!"  
  
She ran after them, shouting spells as she went. Rockwood removed two vials of potion and threw to the ground at Jesabelle hissed and threw her arms up. The potion was vampire repellant. Scratches began to form on various parts of her body. Rockwood grinned and in a flash of black smoke, he was gone.  
  
Harry and the others arrived just as Jesabelle hit the floor.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Harry screamed, dropping down and laying her across his lap; she had fallen unconscious. "We have to get her to the Hospital!"  
  
Dumbledore nodded and they hurried to castle, Jesabelle in Harry's arms, everyone hoping that she would awake.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
There! How' that for action! I'm sorry I wasn't able to update as quickly as I would have wanted. School just started this week. Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter! Yay! Now THIS is my longest chapter!  
  
Coming Up....Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 27: Jesabelle tells her story.  
  
. 


	27. Jesabelle's Story

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 27: Jesabelle's Story  
  
They had been in the Hospital Wing for an hour. Harry, Ron, and Neville were sitting on a bed, Ginny, Luna, and Hermione sitting on another. Dumbledore was standing off to the side, talking with Tonks, who seemed a bit shaken up. They only had minor scratches, so it didn't take long for Madame Pomfrey to fix them back up to normal.  
  
Jesabelle was lying in a bed, still unconscious. Madame Pomfrey had bandaged up her arms. She walked into the Wing, carrying a needle, a vial with bluish liquid connected to it. Madame Pomfrey walked over to Jesabelle's bed, wiping her forearm with cotton balls with little alcohol, then sticking the needle in, pushing the contents of the vial into her system.  
  
"The potion should begin to take effect in a few minutes." Pomfrey said, turning towards Harry and the others. "Then I'll come back in another fifteen minutes to check up, and then I will inject another vial in."  
  
"Another vial?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Jesabelle was hit with two doses of vampire repellant, therefore damaging parts of her body system. We're not even sure if her organs will be functioning correctly later on as the hour progresses. It would take three shots of the healing potion to get her back to normal." Pomfrey said. "She endured multiple gashes on her arms, legs, and her back, which should take about a day to heal. They seem very deep."  
  
"Will she be all right, though?" Ginny asked.  
  
"She should be feeling much better on the good part of three days, nothing to worry about." Pomfrey said, smiling at them.  
  
"Poppy," Dumbledore said, "will you please give us some privacy?"  
  
"Of course, Headmaster, please call me if you need anything." Pomfrey said, bowing slightly and walking into her office, closing the door behind her.  
  
The others sighed. Harry had his face in his hands. They were still shaken up about the events that took place. The whole hour none of them had said anything, for fear of bringing to light the sudden truth they discovered.  
  
"I know it has been an hour," Dumbledore began, "but I would like you to tell me exactly what happened down there."  
  
They all looked at each other. Then Neville relayed the events to Dumbledore, telling him everything they heard and saw. Dumbledore kept silent the whole, time nodding his head, his expression that of extreme understanding and sadness.  
  
"And why did you not try and get me in the first place?" Dumbledore asked. "Or any teacher nearby, like Tonks. You could have gotten yourselves killed out there."  
  
"We didn't have any time to spare." Harry said. "If we went to call you, Jesabelle would have already been taken by those, those, Death Eaters by the time we arrived there. It would have been too late."  
  
Dumbledore nodded again and sat himself down in armchair nearby the bed where Harry and the boys were sitting in. He sighed, putting his fingers together, seeming to become lost in thought. Tonks stood by the doorway, looking at all of them, her face grim.  
  
"You knew about this, didn't you Tonks?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, Harry. Only a few of the staff members know. And the Order knows too, which is why I became the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Tonks answered. "The Order sent me here to keep an eye on Jesabelle, and to protect her."  
  
"But Tonks," Luna said in a small voice, "you know she's a Death eater. If the Ministry were to find out that you knew the whereabouts of a Death Eater running free..." she trailed off.  
  
"I would lose my job." Tonks finished.  
  
Luna nodded and swallowed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
An hour and a half later, Jesabelle stirred and opened her eyes to Madame Pomfrey, who had just finished injecting another round of healing potion. Harry and the others, including Dumbledore and Tonks were there.  
  
She tried to get up, but a pain shot down from her spine and lay back down, breathing heavily.  
  
"The repellant is still having its effect on you, Ms. Potter." Pomfrey said. "Just lay here and rest."  
  
Jesabelle lay there, closing her eyes. Slowly, she opened them, trying to adjust to the light. The others realized she was awake, but none of them dared to ask about what happened at the forest. Until a few minutes later, Jesabelle broke the silence.  
  
"I suppose you all want to know what happened down there." She said, looking at them.  
  
They nodded.  
  
"I can't hide the truth anymore, so I might as well tell you now. But before I start, I just want to say that I'm giving you chance to not hear what I have to say. If you don't want to hear it, leave now."  
  
She paused and waited. No one moved. Then, she continued.  
  
"I'll have to start from the beginning now." Jesabelle said, sitting up, and putting her hands together on her lap. She took and deep breath, and began. "My mother was Gema Potter, older sister of James Potter by two years. An Auror for the Ministry of Magic, and an Unspeakable for the Department of Mysteries."  
  
She paused, letting it sink in.  
  
"My mother became a double agent for the Ministry, infiltrating the Dark Lord's fortress, and bringing some of the most important information of his motives back to the Ministry." She continued, not looking at any of them, but down at her hands. "She had an affair with the Dark Lord himself, a tactic she used to get even the most guarded information to the Ministry. It is by that affair, that I am the result."  
  
She paused again, and said the one thing that everyone did, and did not want to hear at the same time.  
  
"I am Voldemort's daughter."  
  
The whole room, if possible, became even more silent than it already was. Jesabelle's head was throbbing slightly. She sighed again.  
  
"When my mother discovered she was pregnant with me, she fled from my father, the Dark Lord's fortress that same night. Then she had me months later, and raised me." She paused. "Then, word got out that my mother was working for the Ministry and Death Eaters soon started to track us down. We had to run, especially after Harry defeated the Dark Lord. Those idiots would never rest until they had their revenge on my mother."  
  
Tears began to form in Jesabelle's eyes, but she hid them from the rest, willing herself that she had to tell her story and finish it before she broke down.  
  
"In the first eleven years of my life, we moved twenty-three times, people in the Department of Mysteries for the Ministry setting up some unplottable safe houses for us. We never stayed in one place too long." She stopped, then gathered her breath. "Then, months after my eleventh birthday, a Death Eater broke into our home. My mother hid me in a safe place behind the house. I could hear the screams even from there. This man, this Death Eater, was screaming at my mother, telling her that she was a traitor, that she distracted the Dark Lord, and that she would have to pay dearly."  
  
She paused. Harry looked at her, her head hung low, unsure of what to make of what she was telling them. She sniffled.  
  
"Then a flash of green light and I could hear the sickening thump as my mother's body fell to the floor. Before the Death Eater left, though, he said that he would be coming back for me. When I was sure he was gone, I ran out, to my mother's body. The Ministry immediately came afterwards but they never found my mother's killer." She continued on. "Then, two days after the murder, I was kidnapped from two Ministry officials by Death Eaters, while they were escorting me to my legal godparent. It was supposed to be temporary, until the Ministry found a foster home for me."  
  
"But, who was your godfather?" Ron asked.  
  
Jesabelle looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Remus Lupin."  
  
Harry looked up at her.  
  
"My mum and your dad were so close that she was close to his friends too, Harry." Jesabelle said. "It was completely natural that one of them became my godfather. Sirius was yours, and Remus was mine."  
  
Hermione nodded, her face pasty white.  
  
"If I wasn't taken away, and brought to Remus, I would have gone to Hogwarts with all of you." Jesabelle said, sighing. "Then I met my father for the first time. He brainwashed me into thinking that he could cure me, that he could bring my mother back." She looked out the window and into the sky of the early morning. "I learned the Dark Arts and was trained by other Death Eaters, enduring long days and nights of torture, my father telling me that it was the best way to 'toughen me up' so to speak."  
  
She looked back at them again, then down at her hands.  
  
"When I was fourteen, I received the Dark Mark, but at a price." Jesabelle continued. "I was so convinced that he could bring my mother back that I went to extra lengths to do as my father asked, and even beyond."  
  
"What are you saying?" Neville asked, standing up.  
  
"To prove my loyalty, and to ensure that I became a real follower of my father, I discovered the spell that brought him back to power in your fourth year at Hogwarts." Jesabelle answered, finally looking at them, tears falling down her face.  
  
Harry looked up at her. Jesabelle cringed; she could tell that anger was slowly rising in Harry's inner being. It was all she could do to sit there, and hope that she could explain before he exploded.  
  
"But, I never knew that I was a Potter." Jesabelle suddenly said, catching them by surprise.  
  
They looked confused. Jesabelle took advantage of the moment.  
  
"You see," she continued. "my mother always registered under another name. not by my father's last name, not even by our real last name. She was considered Adelaide Stone in area files, not Gema Potter, and I was considered as Alicia Stone. We used those names as cover up names. I knew my real name was Jesabelle, but I never knew I was a Potter, not until after your fifth year at Hogwarts."  
  
She paused and looked at them. They were beginning to think she was lying, especially Harry, but the sincerity in her eyes pushed his anger away. He knew she was telling the truth.  
  
"I always thought I was a Riddle until I overheard my father having an argument with one of the Death Eaters. They were arguing over whether they should tell me the truth, that I was a Potter, and leave me alone, never knowing the truth of my origin. Of course, the idea was set aside immediately. After I found out, I felt so sick. I helped my father plot against you. It was my fault he came back to power in the first place. So I only did the most sensible thing. A week later, I ran."  
  
She stopped, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.  
  
"I ended up in Bulgaria. I entered Durmstrang, and studied there for my sixth year. I knew the new Headmistress personally and made a deal with her, in which she would not tell my father that I was there. Then that's where I met Blake Marshall and Gabriel Parker. Parker's parents were Death Eaters, but she never recognized me, because she never saw me before. She became jealous when Marshall and I got together, and found out I was a vampire, and spread the news around the school. I became a freak. At the end of the year, the Headmistress told Voldemort I was at Durmstrang, so I ran again, jumping from country to country, leaving fake trails behind, in hopes my father would be led astray. Then, over the summer, Dumbledore found me roaming Diagon Alley, looking for a place to stay. Then he got me into Hogwarts, posting up a fake file about my past so the Ministry wouldn't question me." Jesabelle said, looking at Dumbledore, silently thanking him again.  
  
"For a while, I thought I would be able to go on without having to look back until the time came. But no, Parker and Marshall found out my secret and my father sent them here, to watch me. Then he sent Rockwood and his henchmen to bring me back, and now here we are." Jesabelle ended.  
  
"Who exactly is this Rockwood guy?" Neville asked.  
  
"He's Augustus Rockwood's brother. When Augustus was taken to Azkaban in your fifth year, Arnold was able to wiggle his way out of the Ministry's suspicions, which allowed him to run to my father." Jesabelle said.  
  
Everyone remained silent. Ginny and Luna were holding hands. Ron put a comforting arm around Harry's shoulders. Neville and Hermione stood next to each other. None of them were looking at Jesabelle.  
  
Jesabelle sensed their discomfort and leaned her head into the pillow supporting her head, closing her eyes. She knew that one of them was going to explode somehow; it was just the matter of who it was going to be.  
  
"So, let me get this straight," Harry said. Jesabelle lifted her head from the pillow and opened her eyes, looking at him. "you're Voldemort's daughter, and you're a Death Eater."  
  
"Yes." Jesabelle answered.  
  
"Wait," Hermione said, "what did you mean about your special mark? It did look different. I mean, Death Eaters only have one serpent coming out of the skull's mouth. You had two."  
  
"Like I said down there, I carry a special mark." Jesabelle said. "My father gave it to me, to show that I was special."  
  
"Stop calling him your father!" Harry suddenly burst out, standing up and turning towards her, confusion and anger clashing together in his facial expression. "It makes things even more difficult to understand!"  
  
Dumbledore, who had been silent the whole time, stood up, facing Harry. "Calm down Mr. Potter." He said gently.  
  
"How can I calm down?" Harry asked. "We've suspected it all along! I tried not to think about it. I tried not to see it, especially when things started to get even stranger!" Harry said, throwing his arms in the air.  
  
"Harry please!" Tonks said.  
  
"No, Tonks." Jesabelle said.  
  
Everyone turned around to see her standing up, wincing in pain she slowly pulled herself to her feet, stumbling slightly. Ron went over to help her up, but she held up her hand, and he backed away.  
  
Harry had his back to her. He didn't want to talk to her. He didn't want to see her. He was confused. Does that, he and Voldemort are connected legally? It made him sick thinking about it.  
  
Jesabelle made her way slowly up to him. She stopped just a foot behind him.  
  
"You're probably trying to piece yourself together right now, Harry. You and the others are not sure whether or not you should believe me." She said slowly, talking to Harry's back.  
  
Harry drew in a shaky breath, trying to keep it together.  
  
"I have not lied to any of you about anything." Jesabelle continued. "In fact, the only real reason I kept meeting Dumbledore late those nights was because we were both trying to devise plans of action, just in case my fath-I mean, Voldemort came."  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?" Harry asked, his back still turned to her, "Just like when you didn't tell you were a vampire."  
  
"Just think about it Harry." Jesabelle said. "Do you think that I could just in all seriousness walk up to you and tell you that I am the spawn of the man who killed your parents and your godfather? And that I was part of the group of bastards who serve him?"  
  
Harry twitched at the mention of his parents and Sirius.  
  
"I consider myself one of those bastards who received this accursed mark because we believed in his lies." Jesabelle continued, her eyes beginning to tear, her voice shaking. "I live everyday with the guilt, knowing that I helped my father plot against you and your friends. The fact that I didn't know that I was related to you is not an excuse. I shouldn't have done it in the first place. I didn't even know you. So why in hell did I want to plot against you in the first place? Because I was too blind, too stupid, too afraid to run away the first chance I got!"  
  
She was shaking violently, evidence that the strain plus the repellant was taking its toll on her body. She closed her eyes for a second, steadying herself, gripping on the edge of the bed. She opened her eyes again.  
  
"I live everyday, wondering if my father will get you, all of you." Jesabelle said, finally turning towards the others. "I live everyday, knowing that I am the reason my mother is dead. That I am the reason Cedric died. That I am the reason Sirius died!" She screamed at Harry's back.  
  
Harry finally snapped, and he turned around violently to face Jesabelle, tears running down his face, his arm outstretched, his fist clenched. He gritted his teeth. Hermione and Luna were crying hysterically. Ginny and Neville were pale. Ron was standing by, just in case he had pull Harry away. Dumbledore outstretched his arm. Tonks stepped forward, swallowing hard.  
  
"No." Jesabelle said. "Stay back."  
  
They all backed away slightly, but still alert. Jesabelle was alone, utterly alone. She felt the fear growing within her. She knew Harry wanted to cause her as much pain as he endured, and she thought she deserved all the more.  
  
"Everyday the guilt paws at me, Harry." Jesabelle said, crying, but standing tall, showing him that she was not afraid. "And everyday the guilt takes another part of my soul away from me."  
  
Harry faltered slightly, still trying to make sense of everything. His head was spinning, and he had no way of trying to slow it down.  
  
"Go ahead Harry." Jesabelle whispered. "Make me feel the paint hat you feel, Lord knows I deserve for my evil deeds."  
  
Harry lifted his arm, ready to strike. Hermione gasped.  
  
"Harry no!" Neville said.  
  
Harry suddenly dropped his arm, and turned around, punching the wall.  
  
Jesabelle didn't even twitch, the tears still falling from her eyes.  
  
Harry threw a nearby table across the room, eliciting a crash. He punched the wall again, hard, leaving a slight dent. No one dared approach him.  
  
"I don't want Death Eater filth rotting my hands." Harry said viciously, opening the down and walking out, slamming it forcefully behind him.  
  
Ginny, Ron, Neville, and Hermione ran after him, not giving Jesabelle a glance. Only Luna, Tonks, and Dumbledore were left behind.  
  
"Tonks, I think you should follow them, to make sure they don't get into any trouble." Dumbledore said.  
  
Tonks nodded and silently made her way out of the room. Dumbledore and Luna turned towards Jesabelle.  
  
Jesabelle met their eyes. She knew what they were thinking. She messed up, big time. She began to tremble, and Luna caught her before she hit the ground, pulling her body to hers in a tight embrace, and Jesabelle sobbed.  
  
"Shh." Luna said. "Not everyone deserted you." She looked up at Dumbledore sadly, who returned her gaze with the same sadness. Then he turned away, sitting himself in the armchair, sighing heavily.  
  
Jesabelle continued to sob, the tears spilling like a river released from a dam.  
  
"It's all right Jesabelle." Luna said, rocking back and forth slightly, "I didn't desert you. I'm not angry with you. I'm still here."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
There you go everyone! Yeah, I know that in my latest Author's Note I said that I was having problems with my floppy. Well, ten minutes after I posted that note, I fixed the problem. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!  
  
Please read and review!  
  
Coming Up......Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 28: Harry and the others talk about Jesabelle, and someone spills the beans about Jesabelle to the Ministry. 


	28. The Path of the Guilty

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 28: The Path of the Guilty  
  
The sun rose over the Hogwarts grounds as Jesabelle stared out the window. Luna had already left to check up on the others, while Dumbledore and Tonks were in Madame Pomfrey's office, probably discussing how to best handle the situation they were in.  
  
"All right, dear," Madame Pomfrey said, handing Jesabelle a goblet with steaming liquid inside, "take this potion, it will complete the healing process."  
  
"Thank you, Madame." Jesabelle said, taking the goblet and downing it's contents.  
  
"Would you like some breakfast, dear?" Madame Pomfrey asked, taking the goblet from Jesabelle's hands. "I had the elves bring up a tray of food for you."  
  
Jesabelle turned to look at her, seeming as if she was trying to process what she said. "No," she said finally, "No, that was very kind of you Madame, but I'm not hungry, thank you very much."  
  
"All right then. Just call me if you need anything. I'll be coming by in another hour to check up." Madame Pomfrey said, closing the curtains around Jesabelle's bed.  
  
Jesabelle smiled and nodded, trying her best not to look anxious.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Anyone up for another game of football?" Seamus asked.  
  
"No, Seamus, sorry, thanks." Ron said.  
  
Harry and the others were sitting at their usual spot underneath a tree by the lake. It was already noon. They had seen Jesabelle make her way slowly out an hour ago, sitting herself five trees down, burying herself in a book, trying not look at the others.  
  
Seamus nodded and walked away, a concerned look upon his face. He knew it best not to get involved or ask if there was anything he could. It was like that with Harry and his friends. Sometimes, they didn't know what to do. Now was one of those times.  
  
Harry spent most of his time in the Boys' Dorm, only coming out when Ginny begged him to. He didn't say a word for the entire time they had been out by the lake. The others did not say anything either.  
  
"I believe her." Luna said, breaking the silence. "I think she's telling the truth."  
  
"How do we know that for sure?" Hermione asked. "It's not like we can find Veritaserum lying around so we could feed it to her."  
  
"Isn't Dumbledore's belief in her enough?" Luna asked.  
  
"Of course it is." Ginny said. "And I believe her too, it's just a bit, well, hard to understand the whole thing."  
  
"She doesn't expect you to, at least not right away." Luna said.  
  
"Why are you defending her?" Harry asked.  
  
"Because I know that she feels guilty, Harry." Luna said, turning to him. "I stayed with her after you all ran away."  
  
"We didn't run away!" Ron said defensively.  
  
"You all ran away and you know it." Luna said forcefully. "I stayed with her after you all left. She cried and cried for hours. And then cried again. The tears wouldn't stop coming. She felt beyond terrible for everything. She thinks that we will never understand. Ever."  
  
"How can you be so sure that it isn't just an act?" Harry asked.  
  
"Truthfully, I don't know, Harry." Luna said. "But I trust her, and if you want to question my judgment, go ahead. But you're her cousin, you're family."  
  
Harry twitched at the word 'family'. It was apparent that the whole thing was having a great effect on him.  
  
"True friends believe that the others are able to change, despite what they had done in the past. I believe in her. I believe she's innocent, I believe she is for us, not against us. And if you all were really her true friends, you would believe in her too." Luna said, giving them a look of slight disgust.  
  
Neville sighed and ran his fingers through her hair. Ron looked out toward the lake.  
  
"I agree with Luna." Hermione said, gripping Luna's hand.  
  
"So do I." Ginny said, nodding.  
  
Ron hung his head low. Neville looked out at the field. His eyes widened.  
  
"Neville, what's wrong?" Luna asked.  
  
Neville turned towards her, slowly growing pale. "Fudge is here, and he doesn't look like he's having a good day."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle looked up to see Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, walking towards the steps leading to the entrance doors, seven Aurors following closely behind. He had this sour look on his face that made Jesabelle shiver slightly. She lifted her book up to cover her face as she watched as Hogwarts students parted to get out of their way, whispers spreading throughout the area.  
  
Jesabelle grew pale, as she put down her book, and turned her head, catching Neville's eye. This is it, she thought. They've come for me.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fudge made his way up the steps, meeting Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Minister." McGonagall said, surprised. "What brings you here?"  
  
"Where is Dumbledore?" Fudge asked.  
  
"I believe he's upstairs in the Hospital Wing, with Professor Tonks." McGonagall said.  
  
"Yes, we would like to speak with her too." One of the Aurors behind Fudge said.  
  
McGonagall looked around and found that it was Kingsley Shacklebolt who spoke. She met his worried gaze and nodded, leading the ways towards the Hospital Wing, students parting to let them through.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"The Ministry's here?" Harry asked, standing up, looking at Fudge.  
  
"Oh no!" They've come for her!" Ginny said. "We have to do something!"  
  
"What can we do?" asked Ron.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Dumbledore!" Fudge called, as he stormed into the Hospital Wing, scaring Madame Pomfrey.  
  
A door to the side opened and Dumbledore stepped out, followed by Tonks.  
  
"What is this I hear about a Death Eater attack?!" Fudge demanded.  
  
"Well, Cornelius," Dumbledore began. But Fudge cut him off.  
  
"A Death Eater attack and no one alerted the Ministry!" Fudge said, growing red. "And what is this I hear about a Death Eater, here at the school?"  
  
"Minister, I," Dumbledore began again, but Fudge interrupted.  
  
"I was alerted by a source who wishes to remain anonymous, that one of the new students, Jesabelle Potter, to be exact, happens to be in league with You-Know-Who and his followers." Fudge said, getting redder by the minute.  
  
"Minister, please, try to see reason!" Dumbledore said sternly.  
  
"What reason? You have a Death Eater running around the premises, and you didn't even bother to alert the Ministry? Oh ho! This is the last straw, Dumbledore. You are finished! Finished!" Fudge yelled storming out the door, the Aurors following. "Shacklebolt, Jones, stay with Dumbledore and Tonks, see to it that they stay here."  
  
Shacklebolt and Hestia Jones nodded and closed the door behind Fudge.  
  
"You have to let us out." Tonks said.  
  
"We can't" Jones said.  
  
"But she's innocent!" Tonks yelled.  
  
"Please, let us try and stop this, before it goes too far." Dumbledore said.  
  
Hestia and Shacklebolt nodded, opening the door and following behind Dumbledore and Tonks.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Where is Jesabelle Potter?" Fudge asked Colin Creevey.  
  
"I believe she's outside, near the lake, Minister." Colin answered, taken aback by Fudge's savage tone and appearance.  
  
Fudge stormed out of the castle doors, scanning the area.  
  
"Where is Jesabelle Potter?" Fudge asked Seamus, who was close by.  
  
"She's over by that tree, Sir." Seamus said, pointing towards the tree Jesabelle was sitting at, and moving out of the way as Fudge ran towards the tree.  
  
Jesabelle's eyes widened in horror as Fudge got closer and closer. She absolutely terrified.  
  
"Jesabelle Potter!" Fudge screamed, stopping in front of her, as an Auror pulled her to her feet. The other Aurors formed a circle around, ensuring that she would not escape.  
  
A female Auror with long brown hair, and blue-gray eyes stepped forward, removing a piece of parchment from her robes, and opening it, holding it before her.  
  
Jesabelle clutched her book to her chest, but it was pulled away from her when two male Aurors pushed her to the ground on her knees, one of them holding her arms behind her.  
  
"They're really going to arrest her!" Luna said in horror, as she raced toward Jesabelle, Fudge, and the Aurors.  
  
"Jesabelle Carlanna Potter." The female Auror began, "You are being arrested under charges of treason against the Ministry of Magic through forming an allegiance with the Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."  
  
"No!" Luna said, stopping behind the Aurors and trying to fight her way through. The Aurors held her back. The others arrived right after.  
  
Dumbledore, Tonks, Shacklebolt, Jones, and McGonagall made their way down the field.  
  
"What evidence do you have?!" Neville screamed, trying to fight off the Auror who was holding him.  
  
The Auror holding Jesabelle's arms removed her right arm roughly from behind her, and pulled back the sleeve, revealing the Dark Mark. By then, people were already gathering around, to see what all the commotion was about. Seeing the Dark Mark, they all gasped.  
  
"That is the evidence." The female Auror said. "For you heinous crime," she continued, "you have condemned yourself to a life sentence in Azkaban, wherein your wand will be destroyed and you may possibly be granted a hearing."  
  
Jesabelle hung her head low, tears falling to the grass. It was finally happening. She was being arrested and sent to Azkaban. She would never see Hogwarts again.  
  
"Please, Minister." Tonks said. "She's innocent."  
  
"You are in enough trouble as it is, Tonks." One of the Aurors said. "If you want to keep your job, then I suggest that you stay out of this!"  
  
"But she's innocent!' Tonks screamed again.  
  
One of the other Aurors searched her robes, as another pulled her up to stand on her feet, still holding her arms behind her back. The Auror removed Jesabelle's wand from her right pocket. Straightening up, he snapped it, handing it to the female Auror who was reading the charges, who was obviously the Head Auror of the group.  
  
The Auror holding Jesabelle's hands behind her back handcuffed her hands and pushed her forward.  
  
"Come on, move out of the way." He said to the crowd.  
  
"I will deal with you and the school later, Dumbledore, after I fix this mess." Fudge said viciously, as he followed the Aurors.  
  
The Aurors stood in front, behind, or on either side of Jesabelle, as escort. Neville and the others pulled himself away from the Aurors that were holding them, trying to fight off the other Aurors who were escorting Jesabelle.  
  
"Stop it!" Jesabelle said, softly, looking up at him and the others. Harry was off to the side, too shocked to move. "There's nothing left here for me." She whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, for everything."  
  
She turned away, looking forward, her head held high, the tears still falling, walking with the Aurors, who felt nothing but pure hatred towards the Death Eater.  
  
Neville and the others backed away, Dumbledore and Tonks standing behind them, as Shacklebolt and Jones ran to head off with the departing Aurors.  
  
Ron rounded on Dumbledore. "You have to do something!" he screamed. "She's innocent! We all know it!"  
  
"You know that I cannot overrule the law, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore said sadly.  
  
Luna, Hermione, and Ginny were crying silently, as Tonks dabbed at her eyes. Neville and Ron looked at each other sadly, knowing that Dumbledore was right.  
  
Harry stood a distance from the crowd, people throwing him curious glances. They can and arrested her. It just happened. Jesabelle was gone. She was arrested. Jesabelle is gone! Harry turned away from the crowd and ran up the steps and into the castle, not sure whether he was angry, sad, or happy. His emotions were all in a bunch as the others in the clearing looked up at him, unsure of what to make of his reaction.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, whispers followed Harry and the others as they headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast, none of them feeling hungry. They didn't get a wink of sleep last night, staying in the Common Room in silence, not wanting to bring back the awful truth that Jesabelle was arrested, and that she would not be coming back.  
  
They seated themselves at the Gryffindor table as the entire Great Hall grew quite at their entrance. The owls came in and made their usual deliveries. Hermione paid the owl that delivered her the Prophet, and put the paper on the table in front of her. She took a deep breath, and opened it.  
  
The others watched her for any reaction. She finished reading and handed them the paper, putting her face in her hands, sobbing quietly.  
  
Neville, Ginny, and Ron leaned in to read the article.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ministry Officials Arrest Undercover Death Eater  
  
Jesabelle Carlanna Potter, a seventeen year old Hogwarts student, was arrested by Ministry Aurors under charges of treason against the Ministry of Magic yesterday afternoon. Rock-solid evidence has proved her guilty as a prominent Death Eater, serving under the Dark Lord. Jesabelle accepted these charges and came along silently and without a struggle.  
  
Potter has also been accused as an undercover agent, passing on secret information from Hogwarts to the Dark Lord. She has not been proven guilty, but the accusations still stand.  
  
She was said to be involved in a Death Eater attack on Hogwarts the night before, which involved three other Death Eaters that were spotted by a Hogsmeade resident earlier on. Apparently, the Ministry has not received word of this, seeing as Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, failed or may have refused to report it.  
  
Potter will be detained in Azkaban Wizard Prison and placed under top Dementor security until her hearing, which is scheduled to take place on the 15th of June.  
  
Fudge and Dumbledore were not available to address any comment or questions, and further news is still yet to be heard on the matter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"We have to go to her hearing." Ginny said. "We have to try and defend her somehow."  
  
"But how?" Hermione asked, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. "Fudge and the rest of the council probably won't let us in, and if we are able to get in, how will we convince them that she really is innocent?"  
  
"That's what we have to figure out." Ron said, folding the paper, and putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle sighed as she sat in between two Aurors. They were on the way to Azkaban on a small boat. It seems as if this had been planned ahead of time, for the Head Auror did not waste anytime squabbling with the Muggles that gave them their boat.  
  
They set out at dawn, and were already at sea for two hours, the fog that was already forming blanketing them in its safe cover. Jesabelle was wondering whether they had gotten lost when the fog receded, revealing a small island, a stone structure resembling a building looking a century old sitting on its rocks, the waves of the ocean crashing down on it.  
  
"Welcome to Azkaban, Death Eater." The Auror said, pushing Jesabelle up the stone steps near the clearing they set their boat at.  
  
Five minutes later, they came to stone double doors, each standing eleven feet high. The doors blended so well with rest of the structure that Jesabelle didn't notice it was there, until they opened, revealing two other Ministry workers, both pale and shivering.  
  
"John." One of the Aurors said.  
  
"Sanders." One of the Ministry officials said.  
  
The Auror called Sanders pushed Jesabelle inside, following a long hallway, which was completely dark, except for the lamps hanging from the ceiling every two feet.  
  
"This, Death Eater," Sanders said, smirking, "is the infamous 'Path of the Guilty'. So-called because it was the same path every Death Eater takes, right to the doom of a broken mind." Sanders continued pushing Jesabelle ahead of him, her hands still chained, the smirk pasted on his face. It was evident he despised Death Eaters.  
  
They reached a steel door, which the Ministry official, John, opened for them, leading the party into a small office, with only a small wooden table, two worn-looking armchairs, and a simple chair set behind the desk.  
  
"Keep moving!" Sanders spat, pushing Jesabelle even more forward, making her trip and fall over. Sanders bent down and pulled her up roughly by the hair, so she was standing up again. He released her hair and forced her to stand in front of the desk as John sat behind it on the chair, removing a piece of parchment.  
  
"Ah, yes, Jesabelle Potter." John said, removing a quill and inkbottle from a drawer. "Place your fingerprint on this section here." He gestured, pointing towards the bottom left hand corner of the parchment. Jesabelle looked up and realized that the parchment was completely blank.  
  
Sanders took the dry quill from John, and took Jesabelle's hand, pricking her index finger with the tip of the quill. Jesabelle flinched slightly in surprise. Sanders placed Jesabelle's finger on the parchment, the blood going together to form a fingerprint of blood.  
  
Jesabelle turned around in time to see her fingerprint sink into the parchment.  
  
"Now please sign right next to the print there." John said, pointing towards the bottom right corner, handing Sanders the inkbottle.  
  
Sanders dipped the quill into the bottle and signed his name, the signature sinking into the parchment as well.  
  
Jesabelle continued staring at the parchment, until Sanders unsuspectingly unchained her hands. Before she could rub them together, because of the strain, a binding curse was placed on her. Sanders pushed her to the floor as John removed his wand. Sanders lifted Jesabelle's left arm, pushing it upward, so that her forearm was facing John. For a second, fear coursed through her as John pointed the tip of his wand to the piece of flesh near the vein protruding from her arm.  
  
John muttered a spell that Jesabelle could not hear, and felt a sharp pain and heat shoot through her left arm. She whimpered.  
  
John backed away, placing his wand back into his robes. She still remained controlled by the binding spell. Sanders lifted her up and pushed her into an armchair. The other Ministry official moved towards her, needle in hand. She recognized the liquid in the vial immediately. The bluish- purplish substance could not go unnoticed. Vampire repellant. They were going to inject her with vampire repellant.  
  
Jesabelle writhed in her seat, struggling, but failing, to move away. The other Aurors held her down as the Ministry official injected her with the repellant. She felt the scars from last night reopen, and she closed her eyes, as she gritted her teeth, willing herself not to scream, not to give those idiots the satisfaction.  
  
She opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by the Aurors, all them smirking at her reaction. She could feel blood seeping out of her gashes. She was beginning to fall in and out of consciousness, as part of the repellant's effect. She could feel someone holding her head up and forcing her mouth open, making her drink a burning substance. She cried out and turned her head, coughing.  
  
"You'll never see daylight again, Death Eater." Sanders said, before Jesabelle collapsed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle woke up to find herself in a small cell, a small cot and tin blanket to her right, and a toilet at the far corner of the room. From the temperature inside the cell, Jesabelle assumed it was night. She got up and, surprisingly, found a small window a little higher above her head. She stood on her toes and looked out to see a full moon.  
  
She sat down on the stone floor and leant against the wall, sighing heavily, rubbing her temples with her left arm. It was then that she remembered everything that happened before she woke up, and looked at her left forearm, seeing, for the first time, what they had put on it.  
  
"72589." She read. Her brand number. She was no longer Jesabelle Potter, she was just 72589.  
  
Suddenly, the whole room went cold, and darkness fell over her cell. Jesabelle turned her head from side to side. Suddenly, she heard a slow, rattling breath. She froze. She wasn't alone. Then, she heard the voices. She was in a different place.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Mum, please come with me! He'll kill you!" she yelled.  
  
"No, Jesabelle, go to the safe house." A woman replied, her mother.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle's eyes welled with tears.  
  
"No." she whispered.  
  
She was reliving the night her mother died.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"But mum!" Jesabelle said.  
  
"GO!" Gema Potter said. "I will come back for you."  
  
"I love you mum." Jesabelle said. Gema nodded and Jesabelle ran towards the safe house, barricading the door.  
  
"You fool." A male voice said. "Did you really think that you escaped?"  
  
"Get out of my house!" Gema said.  
  
"The Dark Lord always knows, traitor. For your treachery against the Dark Lord, you will pay. And then your daughter will be next!" The male voice said again.  
  
"No!" Gema said. "Not Jesabelle!"  
  
"Yes!" the voice said. "Sooner or later we will find her, Gema, sooner or later. Avada Kedavra!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jesabelle screamed, throwing her head back, as she saw the flash of green light, returning back to the present. She sobbed loudly. "No, mum, no." she whispered, pulling her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth. "NO."  
  
Eyes still full of tears, Jesabelle looked up to see a Dementor, feeling its gaze upon her. She shivered. Sanders was right, she thought, I'll never see daylight again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
There you go! I hope you all like that chapter! Anyways, just so you all know, I might not update for a while, the reason I cannot say here. But don't worry, I'll be back. I just don't know how long I may be gone. Just check every once in a while just in case I am able to update.  
  
Thank you all for reading! Please read and review!  
  
Coming Up.....Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 29: Harry has a dream, and more on Azkaban. 


	29. The Siege of Azkaban

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 29: The Siege of Azkaban  
  
"Obviously, you were not able to retrieve her, Rockwood."  
  
"No, I am sorry, my Lord." Arnold said.  
  
"She was too smart for you." Voldemort said, sneering.  
  
They were in an office, Voldemort sitting in an armchair, looking down with disgust at Arnold Rockwood, who knelt in front of him. Rockwood remain silent, his head bowed down. Voldemort could sense his fear.  
  
"No matter, your little stunt has landed her in Azkaban." Voldemort said, rising from the armchair and moving behind a desk, shuffling through pieces of parchment. "Rise."  
  
Arnold Rockwood stood up, looking straight at the Dark Lord, wondering what the punishment of his failure would be this time.  
  
"I will spare you the punishment, Rockwood." Voldemort said, reading his mind. Rockwood shivered.  
  
"What will we do now, my Lord?" Rockwood asked.  
  
"Why, we're going to go and pay my daughter a little visit in Azkaban." Voldemort said, smirking. "Leave."  
  
Rockwood bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him. Voldemort looked out the window and into the full moon. No one can save you now Jesabelle, he thought, not even Harry Potter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry shot up, looking around. He was in the Gryffindor Boys' Dorm. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, as cold sweat ran down his back. It all seemed so real. That means, Voldemort is going to go to Azkaban, he was going to get Jesabelle.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle sat in the same corner, rocking back and forth, her face stained with the tears she cried, her eyes red from the strain. The night was rolling on slowly; it was like the entire island was bewitched to only remain within the time of night. She shivered. It was so cold. The chill stung her skin, and her hands were numb. She had only been there for a few hours, and she was already beginning to lose her mind. She was already losing the fight of staying awake. She was afraid to fall asleep, for her nightmares could come back to her, more real that before.  
  
She sniffed. God, she was in a tight spot. She was surprised the Ministry didn't kill her. Why waste your time sending me to Azkaban and keeping me alive, when you could just kill me and get it over with, she thought. One less person to feed around here, if we ever get fed at all.  
  
She threw her head back and sighed heavily. Then, she heard shuffling. There was something going on. The Dementors were quickly gliding past her cell door. What's going on, she thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Voldemort and thirty-five Death Eaters arrived at the shores of Azkaban, steadying themselves on their boats.  
  
"My Lord." A voice said form the mist.  
  
Voldemort stepped off the boat, the Death Eaters following.  
  
"Show yourself." Voldemort commanded.  
  
The mist cleared and John stood before them.  
  
"Welcome to Azkaban, my Lord." John said.  
  
"Good work." Voldemort replied, following as John led the way towards the stone doors.  
  
John opened them and stepped aside, as Voldemort swept past him, walking into the office, the Death Eaters following closely behind.  
  
Voldemort stepped into the office and turned towards John.  
  
"Where is your counter-part?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"He is asleep in that room over there." John said, pointing towards a door to their right.  
  
Voldemort nodded. "Everything going as planned?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, my Lord." John answered.  
  
Just then, the door John pointed to earlier opened, and the other Ministry official stepped out, looking gloomy. Realizing the Death Eaters and Voldemort himself, the official bolted towards the door, and opening it.  
  
"Crucio!" Voldemort said, his wand outstretched.  
  
The man fell to the ground, twitching and screaming, the Death Eaters' laughs filling the air.  
  
"Avada Kedavra." Voldemort said, almost bored. The flash of green light came and went, and the official's body jerked and lay, unmoving.  
  
"Get rid of the body." Voldemort said.  
  
Instantly, a Death Eater picked up the body.  
  
"Wait." Voldemort said. "I have a better use for it."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle stood up quickly. She heard screams. She was walking up towards the square hole with bars at the door of her cell when she saw a flash of green light, and heard the wicked laughter.  
  
She went pale. No, she thought. Yes, he was here. Voldemort was here. Her father had come back for her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Where is my daughter?" Voldemort asked, turning towards John.  
  
"Second floor, cell 5263." John said.  
  
"All right, the rest of you, get to work. I want every person in this prison released. If you get to my daughter before I do, leave her be. I will speak with her myself." Voldemort said. The Death Eaters nodded and walked through the opened door. Soon, sounds could be heard of cells being opened and men stepping out, greeting the others.  
  
"Where are the Dementors?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"They are in the Meeting Room, just like you asked, waiting for your orders." John said.  
  
"Tell them I will speak with them later." Voldemort said, his eyes skittering around. "First things' first. I want to speak with Jesabelle."  
  
"Of course." John said, exiting the room, Voldemort following.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle's eyes widened as she backed herself against the wall. So it really has begun. Her father was taking over Azkaban. Death Eaters ran by her cell, not giving her a second glance. He's probably going to speak with me himself.  
  
A few minutes later, the activity outside died down, and soon, there were no more Death Eaters passing by her door. She exhaled, not realizing she had held her breath. Suddenly, she heard clicking sounds coming from her cell. She felt panic rush through her veins. This is it, she thought. Keep your composure Jesabelle, she thought. Do not break down; do not let him manipulate you.  
  
The clicking stopped, and the cell door swung open. To Jesabelle's terror, Voldemort stepped into the cell, his lips curling up, an evil grin splashing across his face.  
  
She was surprised, however, to see that his skin was not as pale as she remembered and hair was beginning to grow on his head. But, everything else remained the same, the red eyes, the nose, and the cold chills she got every time she looked him in the eye.  
  
"Hello child." Voldemort said, as the cell door closed behind him.  
  
"Voldemort." Jesabelle replied, her voice iced with hatred.  
  
Voldemort paused, as if waiting for something.  
  
"Will you not bow to your Lord?" Voldemort asked, knowing the answer.  
  
"I would rather not waste my time." Jesabelle said, keeping the same icy tone.  
  
"You're still as stubborn as I remember, Jesabelle." Voldemort said. "Either that or still just as stupid as I remember."  
  
Jesabelle flinched slightly at his remark, doing her best to keep her face neutral.  
  
"You're fighting a losing battle." Voldemort said, his voice inside her head.  
  
Her eyes widened, and she grasped her head.  
  
"Stay out of my head!" she screamed. Do not let him manipulate you, she thought, don't let him in.  
  
She heard whispers, screams, cold laughter, all at once. She was getting dizzy now.  
  
"I can smell your fear, and it disgusts me." Voldemort said, still manipulating Jesabelle's mind.  
  
"NO!" Jesabelle screamed, still clutching her head. "What do you want from me?"  
  
"You are essential to my plan." Voldemort said, his voice returning to reality. She could still hear the whispers.  
  
She screamed, clutching her head. Her Dark Mark burned, as did her brand. The wounds she endured from the repellant were reopening again, becoming even deeper. She screamed again.  
  
"Why do you continue to fight Jesabelle?" Voldemort asked, inside her head.  
  
"NO! Stay out of my head!" Jesabelle yelled, gritting her teeth. The pain of her mark, the brand, and wounds was becoming unbearable. She felt blood run down her arms as her mark and brand began to bleed. She dropped on her knees, tossing and turning her head, in an attempt to shake the voice away from her thoughts.  
  
"I can bring your mother back, don't you want that?" he asked.  
  
"NO! I will not be a slave to your lies!" Jesabelle yelled. "What do you want from me?" she screamed again.  
  
"You will ensure my uprising Jesabelle." Voldemort said, inside her mind.  
  
"NO!" Jesabelle said. "I will not let you use me against Harry again!"  
  
Voldemort laughed, its chilling effect icing down to Jesabelle's core. Flashes of memories better forgotten raced through her mind. The night her father first returned to power in Harry's fourth year. Harry suffering on that tombstone. She remembered the torture she was put through under her father's watchful eye, the night her mother died. Her facial expression never leaving her as she saw her dead body before her again, as if it was brought here for real, and not sitting in its grave.  
  
She saw the nightmare she had. She relived the night Draco broke up with her, saw him and Pansy together, felt the old heart ache of that night. She saw the look on Harry's face as he deserted her after finding out she was a Death Eater.  
  
"I don't want Death Eater filth rotting my hands." Harry had said viciously that night.  
  
She remembered the night she first met her father. She saw Harry being killed by the basilisk, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville's bodies strewn all over the floor.  
  
She heard Voldemort's cold laughter again. It was consuming her now, but this time, she couldn't escape.  
  
"NOOOOOOO!" Jesabelle screamed, falling to the ground, curled up in a ball, her back facing him. She sobbed, her body shaking.  
  
The noises subsided, her mind was clear, the pain had stopped.  
  
Voldemort smirked at the crying figure before him. But then, his expression went soft. His eyes cleared slightly and he looked around, as if lost, bewildered. Then, his eyes fell upon Jesabelle.  
  
"Child." Voldemort said, softly, almost warmly. "Child, why are you crying?" he asked, extending her hand out towards her.  
  
Jesabelle twitched slightly. "Get away from me!" she screamed.  
  
Voldemort pulled back, but then, his old self returned. Realizing what had just happened, he pasted on his evil expression and left the cell without another word, slamming the door behind him.  
  
"You!" he said, pointing at one of the Death Eaters standing by, the others had long gone. "Stand guard by this door. No one goes in without my leave."  
  
The Death Eater nodded, positioning himself outside of Jesabelle's door, her sobs still heard from the inside.  
  
Voldemort nodded and walked down the hallway, leaving the Death Eater alone with his job.  
  
When Voldemort was out of sight, the masked Death Eater turned around and looked inside Jesabelle's cell.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle continued to cry, feeling numb to the pain of her physical wounds. It was the emotional ones that were slowly eating her away. The memories that flashed through her mind when her father was in the cell were memories that she wanted to forget, and just in a matter of seconds, it all came back to her. She was still crying, not moving.  
  
"Oh Draco," she whispered. "I need you."  
  
She continued crying, unaware that the Death Eater keeping guard was watching her, his silvery eyes filling with tears.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kingsley Shacklebolt stretched as he walked out of the elevator. It was already four in the morning, and he didn't get a wink of sleep. He had spent the entire night trying to think of ways to help Jesabelle in her hearing. He was walking by the fountain, rubbing his eyes, when he realized that something was floating in the water.  
  
Cautiously, he removed his wand from his robe and slowly approached the fountain. He realized it was a body, turning it over quickly, in case the person was still alive. His eyes widened. It was one of the Ministry officials who worked in Azkaban. He quickly pulled him out of the water, and checked his heart and pulse. Finding he was dead, he ripped open his T- shirt, his eyes widening even more. There, upon his chest, the Dark Mark was carved into his skin. It burned black, catching Shacklebolt by surprise.  
  
Not wasting any time, Shacklebolt leapt up, apparating to Fudge's home. Surprisingly, Fudge was not asleep. Shacklebolt found him in his study.  
  
"Shacklebolt!" fudge said, surprised. Seeing his face, Fudge became concerned. "What is the matter?"  
  
"It's V-Vo-V-Voldemort." Shacklebolt said, stuttering.  
  
Fudge rose from his desk, going pale.  
  
"He's in Azkaban, Minister." Shacklebolt continued. "The Dark Lord has taken over Azkaban."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others raced down the Great Hall, meeting Luna at its door. It was seven in morning and most of the students weren't up yet. They came in just as the owl delivering the Daily Prophet swooped in. Hermione paid the owl hurriedly and opened the paper, scanning the font page. She paled.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked.  
  
Hermione was silent for a moment, and then softly said, "Voldemort had taken over Azkaban."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dark Lord Takes Over Wizard Prison  
  
The Dark Lord takes yet another step at wizard and muggle domination. Last night, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named took over the wizard prison Azkaban which resides on an island not too far off the coast of England.  
  
Officials still do not know for sure how the Dark Lord was able to infiltrate the prison, but some believe that the Dementors allied themselves with him. His take over resulted in the death of a Ministry worker who was one of two who worked at the prison. His body was found at the Ministry of Magic, the Dark Mark carved into the skin of the man's chest.  
  
The public is beside themselves with panic, blaming Fudge for the sudden uproar and turn of events. The public questions Fudge's judgment, wondering if he really knows what he is doing.  
  
"Please remain calm." Fudge said in a private meeting with the board. "We are taking control of the situation. We are currently working on sending a team to handle V-V-V-Vo-Voldemort's forces. For now, we advise everyone to remain in their homes until professionals are sent to their areas to give further instructions. Until then, be on you best guard."  
  
More information is still yet to be gathered. We will keep the public posted for any new developments.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dumbledore put the Daily Prophet down after reading it. Harry and the others burst into his office.  
  
"Headmaster!" Harry said. "We have to help her!"  
  
Dumbledore rose from his seat just as McGonagall, Trelawney, Tonks, and even Snape, burst in as well.  
  
"We just read the paper." McGonagall said, slightly out of breath.  
  
"We have to help her!" Harry yelled. "There must be something we can do!"  
  
Dumbledore nodded and Snape closed the door, muttering a silencing charm over it so snoopers wouldn't be able to eavesdrop.  
  
"Calm down Harry!" McGonagall said. "We're all as worried as you are."  
  
Ron, Ginny, Neville, Hermione, and Luna looked at Snape, silently disagreeing with what McGonagall had said.  
  
"Wait." Luna said, turning to Snape. "You work undercover for us, don't you? You would have known about this."  
  
"She's right!" Ginny said, turning to looks at Dumbledore. "You all must have known about this!"  
  
"You have to understand, Ms. Lovegood that Serverus didn't know about this." Tonks said. "Not entirely anyway."  
  
"I knew he was going to try and take over Azkaban, but I didn't know when, let alone think that Jesabelle could be caught and sent there by the Ministry." Snape said, and for the first time in all over their lives, they could sense that Snape wasn't using his icy tone. No, he sounded concerned, almost scared for Jesabelle's life.  
  
"I have already contacted the Order to get working on the situation." Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry and the others exhaled heavily.  
  
"Have a seat, all of you." Dumbledore said, gesturing towards the armchairs around his desk.  
  
Everyone sat in a chair except for Harry and the teachers.  
  
"What are we going to do Professor?" Ron asked.  
  
"We don't know yet." Dumbledore said. "We don't know how many Death Eaters are there. We don't know how the defenses are being kept, let alone where exactly Jesabelle is inside the prison itself."  
  
Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair.  
  
"Oh God." He whispered, leaning against he wall, hands in his face. The others rose. Harry began sobbing quietly. "It's all my fault." He whispered. "I shouldn't have stood there while they took her away. I should have fought!"  
  
"Harry, it's not your fault." Ron said comfortingly. "Your mind wasn't clear at the time. You didn't know what to think about the whole thing. You were torn."  
  
"No!" Harry said, taking his face out of his hands, sniffling quietly, the tears running down his cheeks and neck. "I should have tried and saved her. I should have tried to give her fighting chance."  
  
"You know that even if you tried to help her, they still would have taken her away. We can't fight the law Harry." Neville said.  
  
Despite the people in the room, Harry wept, feeling guilt rise up in him. "I shouldn't have left her." He cried. "I should have protected her."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was impossible to see through the mist. But it wasn't like Jesabelle was looking out the window in the first place. It was nine in morning, but the cold air of night still hung around, and Jesabelle did not see a ray of sunlight.  
  
She had fallen in and out of sleep, unwilling to surrender herself to the nightmares she knew she would see again if she closed her eyes.  
  
The Death Eater had kept guard the whole night and through the morning, another Death Eater coming in to check up on him once every hour.  
  
He was leaning against the door, sighing heavily, still hearing Jesabelle's small sniffles from the inside of the cell. He straightened up, however, when he heard footsteps approaching.  
  
As the footsteps drew nearer, Jesabelle tightened herself even further into a ball. No, she thought, please no, not again. Please no.  
  
The footsteps stopped in front of the cell. The young Death Eater standing guard loosened up when he realized who the person was.  
  
"How is she holding up?" a female voice asked him.  
  
The Death Eater looked away, sadness in his eyes, trying to shield it from the woman in front of him. The woman placed a comforting hand on his shoulders, giving him a weak smile.  
  
"Lucius sent me to check on her. I have the Dark Lord's leave." The woman said.  
  
The Death Eater nodded, and opened the cell for her, closing it behind her.  
  
Jesabelle shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the pain of her father's presence to return.  
  
"Jesabelle?" the woman asked. Jesabelle's eyes shot open. She knew that voice. Could it be?  
  
She turned around. "Narcissa?" she whispered. Narcissa Malfoy.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry said in an armchair, Ginny wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders, holding him close while she stood next to him.  
  
"We will work hard to get her back, Harry." Dumbledore said. "In fact, Serverus here has volunteered to go to Azkaban and speak with the other Death Eaters about Voldemort's plans."  
  
Harry looked at Snape, silently thanking him, despite the long years of loathing.  
  
"All we need for you to do Harry, is wait." McGonagall said. "We'll tell you if anything has changed."  
  
"Thank you." Hermione said silently.  
  
"I suggest you all get some rest." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Wait." Trelawney said, catching everyone by surprise. "Harry had another dream last night, didn't you Harry?"  
  
"Yes." Harry said, looking up at Trelawney. "I dreamt that Voldemort was talking to Rockwood and that he was going to visit her."  
  
"But you haven't had any dreams connected to Voldemort or his plans wince the end of your fifth year." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Yes, which why I was scared when I had the dream." Harry said.  
  
"You don't think it's another trap, do you?" Tonks asked.  
  
Harry shook his head, remembering what happened in his fifth year, when Voldemort had tricked him into believing that he kidnapped Sirius. One thing led to another, and the result was Sirius' death.  
  
"Then why make it public?" Neville asked.  
  
"I don't know." Tonks said, looking at Dumbledore. "What do you thin Albus?"  
  
"I think. This time, we are not taking any chances." Dumbledore said, looking at Harry and the others.  
  
"That means we are not to leave the castle." Ron said.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "It's for you own protection." He said.  
  
"We know.' Ron said. "We just don't like sitting here, helpless."  
  
"Do not worry Ron." Dumbledore said. "We all don't like it either."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Yes, Jesabelle, it's me." Narcissa said, sitting on the stone floor, her legs beneath her. She was wearing the expensive the robes but she didn't care.  
  
"How can I be sure that it is you?" Jesabelle whispered.  
  
"You never kissed Blake Marshall, despite what others have been led to believe." Narcissa said.  
  
Jesabelle nodded approvingly. "What are you doing here?" she asked.  
  
"Business." Narcissa said.  
  
"Of course." Jesabelle said, expecting that answer. She sat up, leaning against the wall.  
  
"You're a mess." Narcissa said, touching Jesabelle's cheek.  
  
Jesabelle looked away.  
  
"I know what happened." Narcissa said.  
  
"Excuse me?" Jesabelle said.  
  
"The arrest, about the so-called 'Hearing', everything." Narcissa said.  
  
"It was all over the papers." Jesabelle said softly.  
  
"I know." Narcissa said.  
  
"My father doesn't know you're here, does he?" Jesabelle asked, looking into Narcissa's eyes.  
  
"No, and I had to lie to the guard so I could get in." Narcissa said.  
  
"Why?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"I found out what cell you were in." Narcissa said. "As a friend, I wanted o help you."  
  
"You can't help me." Jesabelle said, emotionless.  
  
"Of course I can, that is what friends do. When one them gets lost, the other finds them and leads them back to the path."  
  
"I've been lost ever since my mother died, Narcissa." Jesabelle said, turning towards her, her eyes cold. "Why is my path still hidden from me?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cool! How's that for a page-turner, or rather, chapter-turner. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed it! Please read and review!  
  
A special thanks to all of my reviewers: Mystic Beauty froda 121 Kemenran Mrs. Draco Malfoy Mistress of Darkness yeLLow feLeo And all the other reviewers! Thanks a bunch to all of you!  
  
Coming Up....Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 30: Voldemort unleashes a deadly curse, altering Jesabelle's life, forever. 


	30. Il Sillaba di Distruzione

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 30: Il Sillaba di Distruzione  
  
"You're still bitter." Narcissa said, withdrawing a little and sitting next to Jesabelle, leaning on the wall.  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
Narcissa remained silent.  
  
"I mean," Jesabelle sarcastically continued, "My mum was murdered, my father kidnapped me, I plotted against my cousin, I'm a Death Eater, my cousin despises me, and I lost the one man I have ever loved to one of the most notorious sluts in Hogwarts."  
  
She paused. "Tell me, Narcissa," Jesabelle asked, still keeping the sarcastic tone, "have I missed anything? Because I think that pretty much covers all of it."  
  
"It pains me to see that your anger for the bad things in your life has not left you in the time that I have not seen you." Narcissa said, sadly.  
  
Jesabelle softened a little. "I tried Narcissa, I swear, I tried to move on, but the anger will not leave me."  
  
"I know, Jesabelle, I know." Narcissa said. "And I don't blame you. If I were you, I'd feel the same way too."  
  
Jesabelle sighed, fighting back the tears that were threatening to choke her again. Seeing this, Narcissa removed rolled up parchment, a quill, and ink, from her robes, placing it next to Jesabelle.  
  
"What's this for?" Jesabelle asked, eyeing the parchment.  
  
"Writing always made you feel better." Narcissa said. "I thought that maybe, it could help you now as well."  
  
"Thank you." Jesabelle whispered.  
  
Narcissa smiled despite the mood and got up, dusting her robes and straightening out the wrinkles. She walked to the door, but not before turning around, facing Jesabelle.  
  
"Never give up hope, Jesabelle." Narcissa said, offering a comforting smile.  
  
Jesabelle, try as she might, could not return it. Narcissa nodded slightly and left the cell, closing the door behind her. Jesabelle sighed again, looking at the parchment, thinking about Narcissa's words.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I hate this." Hermione said.  
  
They were all sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, gazing at the fire. Night had fallen hours ago. It was already two in the morning. Neither of them could not sleep.  
  
"It's not like we can just leave." Harry said. "We don't even know where Azkaban is."  
  
"Don't worry Hermione." Luna said. "The Minister will rescue her. If not, then the order will rescue her."  
  
"Let's hope so Luna." Harry said. "Let's hope so."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The days went slowly for all of them. The Prophet never posted any new developments, and the Order was pretty much at a loss as to what to do.  
  
All ideas had been turned down; all because no one was exactly sure about how many Death Eaters were in the facility in the first place. They couldn't risk it. But the stakes were high, and no one knew how long Voldemort was going to occupy Azkaban, or what he might be doing while there.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
June 15, 2003 Tuesday  
  
And so goes the day of my supposed hearing. To think, I actually thought they might give me a fighting chance. What am I thinking? Of course not. I'm a bloody Death Eater, something lower that dirt itself. The scum of the earth. Not to mention that I am the Dark Lord's daughter.  
  
The hours creep by so slowly, I swear I am beginning to lose my mind. Narcissa has not come by to visit me since the first time she came by, I guess it's since there are more Death Eater guarding my cell, especially at night. I'm just glad that they aren't sending the Dementors in, although I would much rather have the Dementor's Kiss than to stay here, reliving the worst moments of my life over and over again.  
  
I am so alone. I miss Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and Neville. I miss Hogwarts. By God, I even miss Snape and his grueling Potions test. I would rather be testing vampire repellants than rotting away here.  
  
I guess that's how most people would feel in my situation. Thankfully, Voldemort has not come by either since the night he took over, probably off plotting new plans for world domination.  
  
I hear someone approaching, I'd better hide this.  
  
Jesabelle  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Later...........  
  
June 15, 2003 Tuesday  
  
False alarm. It was just someone coming over to give me my food. I'm surprised they're still feeding me.  
  
I had another nightmare last night. I think my father is trying to poison my mind again. I shiver. To think he could be watching me right now, reading over my shoulder, breathing down my neck. That bastard.  
  
I miss Draco. I still love him, no matter how hard I try to fight the feeling. In my waking hours, I always picture him. His blond hair, piercing silvery eyes. I can't even remember the way he laughs, or the way he smiles. It seems as if I had forgotten about his personality completely.  
  
But, I can still see the night he was with Pansy. My heart is still broken, and sadly, I cannot pick up the pieces and glue them back together. It hurts too much to pick up the pieces. And to do so would only result in the cutting of my hands.  
  
God damn my father. God damn him. Slowly, every so slowly, he's taking everything away from me.  
  
It's getting harder and harder to fight him. Just the thought of him makes me cringe with fear. I hate the fact that I am afraid of him, it makes me weak. I can still remember the nights I was tortured as part of my training as a Death Eater. I tried not to cry, but cry I did.  
  
My father never lifted a finger to help me. He only criticized me, saying that I was as weak as my mother, which was why he manipulated her so easily. And here I am suffering the consequences of their actions.  
  
Why do I keep calling Voldemort my father? I don't have a father. I never did. And never will.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle set the pieces of parchment, quill, and ink bottle underneath the pillow of the cot.  
  
She lay there, staring up at the stone ceiling. She could hear shuffling outside. She looked out of the small window on her cell door. Strange, no one was out there.  
  
Darkness slowly crept back into the cell again. Jesabelle sat up suddenly. No, damn it, no.  
  
Yes, the dementor was here again. The cell grew cold and darkness had completely consumed the room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The whip flew through the air and cut through the blouse she was wearing. She was chained up, the chains coming from the ceiling, her arms above her, at her side. Her toes only brushed the ground.  
  
She was in a dungeon. The moonlight shone through the window as the man hit her again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle saw her fifteen year old self.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She grit her teeth as she was whipped again. The whip was tearing up her shirt. She could already feel the sting of the cuts as he whipped her again. She jerked forward, willing herself not to cry out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
In the present, Jesabelle jerked as well, feeling the whip at her back. She cried out softly, tears stinging her eyes. She was reliving one of the many nights of training she was put through, by order of her father. She was literally reliving it. She could feel every cut, every sting that the whip brought, and she felt the blood sliding down her back.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The man whipped her again, showing no mercy.  
  
"Will you not cry out?" The Death Eater said, smirking at her obvious pain.  
  
"I would rather not give you the pleasure, Lucius." Jesabelle said. Lucius whipped her again. She jerked forward, gritting her teeth.  
  
"Cry out Jesabelle!" Lucius said, whipping her again. "Beg for mercy!" he yelled, whipping her again.  
  
She grunted. I will not cry out, she thought, I will not cry out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle jerked forward again, her hand forming into a fist and hitting the stone wall next to her cot. She cried out, louder this time. It was becoming unbearable.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lucius enjoyed himself even more, whipping her again, with so much force, she swung slightly.  
  
Jesabelle was biting her lip, still willing herself not to cry out. She could taste the blood from her lip. She hadn't realized she was biting so hard.  
  
He whipped her again, the cuts becoming even deeper. She couldn't hold on any longer.  
  
Oh father, she thought, why are you doing this to me? What have I done wrong to disappoint you? What was it this time?  
  
She whimpered softly as Lucius hit a particularly weak spot in her back. He had already it that spot four times, the cut already dangerously deep. Hearing the sound, Lucius hit her even harder.  
  
Her vision was beginning to grow hazy now, as she swung again slightly at the force of the whip. Lucius finally got angry and hit again, the whip cutting her even more openly. She could already feel the blood staining the skirt she was wearing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle's white, button-up shirt was already wet with blood. She jerked forward again.  
  
"Stop! Please!' she screamed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Beg for mercy!" Lucius said, whipping her the hardest he could.  
  
That was the point where she snapped. She jerked forward violently, screaming out her pain.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle's seventeen year old self cried out as well, rolling off the cot and onto the stone floor.  
  
"Expecto Patronum!" a voice yelled.  
  
The Dementor retreated as a Patronus the shape of a dragon flew towards him.  
  
The darkness and coldness of the room slowly began to disappear, leaving a cold, whimpering Jesabelle, shivering in the middle of the cell.  
  
The young Death Eater immediately opened the cell and closed the door behind him quickly, just in case. He raced toward Jesabelle, sitting on the stone floor and placing Jesabelle's head in his lap.  
  
She groaned in pain. The Death Eater carried her over to the cot and laid her in the middle, her back facing upward. The Death Eater flinched as he saw the blood.  
  
Narcissa raced into the cell, closing the door, panting hard.  
  
"I heard her screams." Narcissa said. Seeing Jesabelle's state, she raced over, her face clouding with concern.  
  
"What happened?" she asked, looking at the Death Eater.  
  
"A dementor." The Death Eater replied, removing a dagger and cutting her blouse open.  
  
Narcissa and the Death Eater flinched, looking away at the wounds. For there upon Jesabelle's back lay cars over scars, dangerously deep, and bleeding like a small river. The Death Eater removed a small bag from his robes and opened them, pulling out white cloths, various healing potions, and bandages.  
  
"I'll try and stop the bleeding." The Death Eater said. He removed his wand, pointing it at the middle of Jesabelle's back.  
  
"Ferulas Spineas." He said, and Jesabelle's torso was wrapped around the middle, and the blood was stopped.  
  
The Death Eater immediately set to work, pouring a vial of red liquid onto a cloth.  
  
"Anything I can do?" Narcissa asked, looking around.  
  
"You can get some hot water." The Death Eater said.  
  
Jesabelle was floating in and out of consciousness as she heard the voices of those around her. She tried getting up, but felt the sharp pain of the cuts. Groaning, she flopped back down on the cot.  
  
"This might hurt a bit." The Death Eater said, touching the cuts with the potion socked cloth.  
  
"Ah." Jesabelle said, arching up slightly, gritting her teeth.  
  
"It's all right Jesabelle." Narcissa said, holding her hand.  
  
Once the Death Eater was finished, he placed bandages soaked with a little purplish potion on each of the cuts. He already used ten bandages by the time he was finished.  
  
"Just wet one of the cloths with hot water and soothe the gashes from the vampire repellant." The Death Eater said, removing a vial with orange liquid inside. They slowly flipped Jesabelle over so she could lie on her back.  
  
"Here." He said, lifting Jesabelle's head up and feeding her the orange liquid. Jesabelle immediately closed her eyes and fell into slumber.  
  
"What did you give her?" Narcissa asked, worried.  
  
"Sleeping drought, nothing major." The Death Eater said, gathering his things.  
  
"Thank you." Narcissa said.  
  
"No problem. I thought she needed the drought, she looks exhausted." The Death Eater said, adjusting his mask and looking at Jesabelle. She looked deathly pale. "The color will return to her face as time progresses. You should probably stay with her, so that she won't panic when she comes to."  
  
"Of course. Thank you again." Narcissa said.  
  
The Death Eater nodded, putting his materials back into the pouch and rising, adjusting his robes and wiping his bloody hands on a cloth.  
  
Narcissa nodded, looking at Jesabelle. "She'd be proud of you." She said.  
  
"Excuse me?" the Death Eater asked.  
  
"Jesabelle would be proud of you, Draco." Narcissa said.  
  
Draco looked away, sighing heavily.  
  
"So you still love her then?" Narcissa asked.  
  
Draco turned to her and removed his mask, revealing his face, dark shadows underneath his tired eyes that were slightly pink.  
  
"You know the answer to that question, Mother." Draco said sadly, his eyes communicating to her the answer to her question. Yes, he still loved her.  
  
"Don't give up on her, Draco." Narcissa said. "She still loves you."  
  
Draco was already walking out of the cell. "You keep telling yourself that Mother." He said. "And maybe then I'll believe you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ginny, wake up." Hermione said, nudging Ginny slightly. It was three o'clock in the morning, Wednesday. Ginny and Ron had fallen asleep together on one of the couches in the Common Room, while Harry, Hermione, Luna, and Neville discussed ways to help Jesabelle in her hearing.  
  
"What is it?" Ginny asked groggily as Ron stood up, stretching.  
  
"Dumbledore's summoned us to his office." Luna said. "He said it was important."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others walked into Dumbledore's office to find, Tonks, Shacklebolt, Lupin, McGonagall, Snape, Arthur and Molly Weasley, and Dumbledore, all talking at the same time.  
  
"It's an outrage!" Lupin said angrily. "Fudge can't do that!"  
  
"Do what?" Neville asked.  
  
The adults grew quiet, suddenly realizing that Harry and the others were in the room.  
  
"Mum!" Ginny said, running up to her mother, who embraced her in a bear hug. Ron and Arthur shook hands.  
  
"Dad." Ron said.  
  
"Ron." Arthur said, grinning.  
  
"Harry!" Molly said, bouncing slightly. "Luna! Neville! My, look at all of you!"  
  
She ran up to each of them and gave them a hug and a kiss on the cheek, absolutely grinning.  
  
"What is Fudge going to do?" Neville asked again, bringing everyone into seriousness again.  
  
"Fudge and the board had finally decided on what action they're going to take." Arthur said.  
  
"What are they going to do about the siege?" Hermione asked.  
  
The adults looked at each other.  
  
"Il Sillaba di Distruzione." Dumbledore said.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"Il Sillaba di Distruzione." Luna said. "The Spell of Destruction in Italian."  
  
"What's that?" Ron asked.  
  
"I read about it once. It was used in the olden times, in which a band of wizards, fifteen to thirty of them, would destroy a certain area with one single spell concentrated and powered by the magic they posses." Luna said.  
  
Everyone was silent. She continued.  
  
"According to the book I read, this spell was only used during wars between bloodlines and houses in the medieval times." Luna said. "Wizards would position themselves a safe distance around an area, say, a village for example, by chanting certain words, a bubble would be formed around that village. Nothing could go in, and nothing could get out."  
  
She paused again.  
  
"They stopped using it centuries ago, but after they formed the bubble, they would chant more words, and everything inside the bubble would slowly disintegrate, leaving nothing in its place but ash or dust."  
  
"So you're telling us that Fudge plans to destroy Azkaban?" Ron asked. "They can destroy the building, but what about the people?"  
  
Luna looked at Ron. "The people disintegrate along with the building." She said. "No one is left alive."  
  
"Bloody hell." Ron said, sitting back in the chair, his head in his hands.  
  
"They can't do that!" Harry said, standing up. "Fudge can't kill all the people in Azkaban. Jesabelle is still in there!"  
  
"That's true Harry, but you have to remember, Jesabelle isn't considered as 'innocent' by the Ministry." Lupin said.  
  
"But it's mad!" Ginny said. "It's massacre. We're talking about a hundred people, four hundred to five hundred tops!"  
  
"That number consisting of the Dark Lord and his followers." Lupin said.  
  
"Voldemort won't die, even if you did go on with the spell, we all know that." Hermione said.  
  
"And Fudge knows that too, he just believes that this might kill him." Tonks said.  
  
"Even if Fudge was actually going to do it, for sure," Harry said.  
  
"He is." McGonagall said.  
  
"That doesn't mean that Voldemort won't know about it. Give him time and when Fudge gets there, Voldemort might either be ready for him, or gone, let them take their pick." Harry said.  
  
"What do you propose we do, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
"We have to go get Jesabelle back." Harry said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle turned her head from side to side, regaining consciousness. She opened her eyes to find Narcissa hovering over her.  
  
"Jesabelle?" Narcissa asked, her voice sounding muffled. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I think so." Jesabelle said, her vision clearing. "What happened?" she asked.  
  
"There was a dementor." Narcissa said.  
  
"Who healed me?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"A Death Eater who chased the Dementor away." Narcissa said, feeling Jesabelle's forehead.  
  
Jesabelle blinked a few times before it all came back. Of course, the dementor, the memory, the whip. Jesabelle jerked slightly as Narcissa applied a cold cloth to her forehead.  
  
"You're not running a fever, but I'd rather be on the safe side." Narcissa said.  
  
Jesabelle sighed, trying to get up. Pain shot down her spine and she plopped back down again, her head beginning to throb.  
  
"You shouldn't get up." Narcissa said.  
  
It's a bit late for that, Jesabelle thought as Narcissa removed the cloth from her forehead.  
  
"You should be better by tomorrow." Narcissa said.  
  
"What time is it?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"It is one o'clock in the afternoon, June 16, Wednesday." Narcissa said, emptying out the pan with water into the toilet and flushing it.  
  
"Thank you for taking care of me, Narcissa.' Jesabelle said gratefully.  
  
"You shouldn't be thanking me hon." Narcissa said. "You should be thanking the man who helped save and heal you."  
  
Jesabelle leaned her head into the pillow. She was having dreams about Draco. For some reason, despite the dreary atmosphere of the prison, Jesabelle was able to see Draco in her dreams, laughing, smiling, and talking with her, being with her, the familiar protection she felt around him running through her body, making her blush slightly despite the cold weather outside.  
  
"Well, then thank him for me." Jesabelle said, staring up at the ceiling. It's over, she thought, don't think about him.  
  
"Will do." Narcissa said. "I'm sorry Jesabelle, but I have to go, they're expecting me soon for a meeting."  
  
"Go ahead, I don't want them getting suspicious." Jesabelle said, still staring at the ceiling. Narcissa walked over, plumped up her pillows, and pulled the blanket over her, smiling at her.  
  
Jesabelle smiled back, suddenly feeling lonely again as Narcissa left her alone in her cell again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"When is Fudge going to do this?" Harry asked.  
  
"He's still trying to put a plan together, but I heard that it will be in five days, roughly." Shacklebolt said.  
  
"That's gives us enough time to make up our own plan." Hermione said.  
  
"Leave it to the Order." Dumbledore said.  
  
"But," Harry began.  
  
"No buts, Harry." Arthur said.  
  
"For once, dears," Molly said, "can you just sit this one out?"  
  
"No mum!" Ron said. "We want to help!"  
  
"You'll get yourselves killed!" Molly said.  
  
"We've survived ore than three times already, mum." Ron said. "I think we can damn well do it again!"  
  
Molly and Arthur's mouths hung open slightly at Ron's use of words, but nonetheless sighed.  
  
"They have a point here, Albus." Lupin said.  
  
"But, still," Dumbledore said, "we do not want you in any danger."  
  
"But," Luna started.  
  
"You will sit this one out." Dumbledore said sternly. "We will inform you of our plans when the times comes, until then, rest."  
  
Harry and the others nodded, walking out of Dumbledore's office, all thinking the same thing.  
  
They weren't going to sit this one out, they were going to help, whether they liked it or not.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
There you go everyone! I know I was supposed to have Voldemort unleash the curse, but I go this great idea and decided to go with it. Hey, at least you've got more action and drama! I hope you all enjoyed it. Please read and review.  
  
Coming Up.........Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 31: More of Jesabelle's writings, more on Draco and Narcissa, and then Voldemort will unleash the curse. Plus! What are Harry and the others going to do about Azkaban? 


	31. The Curse With No Name

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 31: The Curse With No Name  
  
"What are we going to do, Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, simply put, we have to get Jesabelle and bring her back, and then prove her innocence." Harry said.  
  
It was three in the afternoon that day, and Harry and the others were sitting by the lake, discussing their plans.  
  
"How?" Ginny asked. "I bet you all the money I have that the Order won't tell us anything, especially since they want to keep us out of trouble."  
  
"That's why we're going to have to bend a few rules." Harry said.  
  
"What do you have in mind?" Ron asked.  
  
"It's like this," Harry began.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Rain fell upon Malfoy Manor as Narcissa and Draco Malfoy spoke in her private office. Lucius was still at Azkaban, they had the house to themselves.  
  
"We have to help her escape, Mother! " Draco said.  
  
"You and I both know that to help her escape now is suicide!" Narcissa said.  
  
"You know what the Dark Lord is planning to do, mum!" Draco yelled. "We can't let him do that to her."  
  
"We have to place our faith in the Ministry, that they will arrive in time." Narcissa said.  
  
"Mum! Listen to yourself!" Draco yelled. "Voldemort has wiggled his way out of a lot of things. By the time the Ministry comes, we would long gone; Jesabelle would be long gone!"  
  
"Then what can we do, Draco?" Narcissa asked. "I don't like sitting around and waiting for him to carry his plan as much as you do. But what can we do about it? We don't have enough Death Eaters on our side to even formulate a plan! We're on our own!"  
  
"So you're telling me that we should just let him do it?!" Draco said, unable to believe what he was hearing.  
  
"What other choice do we have?' Narcissa asked, close to tears. She got up from her desk, and walked towards Draco.  
  
"We have to watch her suffer." Draco said, his voice shaking.  
  
"I know, love, I know." Narcissa said, embracing her son tightly. "We just have to hold to hope."  
  
"Potter will come." Draco suddenly said, making Narcissa pull back from him.  
  
"Harry Potter?" Narcissa asked.  
  
"He still cares for her." Draco said sternly. "Harry Potter will come for her; he will fight Voldemort and escape again. Harry will save her."  
  
"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" Narcissa asked incredulously. "You're placing all your faith in the one person you completely loathe and hate. What are you drinking?"  
  
"I'm not drinking anything, Mother." Draco said, smiling at her accusation. "Besides, who said I still hated him?"  
  
"She really did change you." Narcissa whispered, her unshed tears finally falling. "You have become a man."  
  
"Yes, mum, I believe I finally have." Draco said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Come on Tonks!" Harry said. "You have to convince them to let us help!"  
  
"You heard what Dumbledore said." Tonks said, putting a pile of books in a box. They were in Tonks' office. Tonks was doing a bit of cleaning. "You all have to sit this one out."  
  
"But," Ginny began.  
  
"I know, you've survived before." Tonks said, looking at Ron. "But that was just against a handful of Death Eaters. Who knows how many there are this time? There could be more than a hundred!"  
  
"It's a risk we're willing to take." Neville said, while the others nodded.  
  
"I believe you, I really do, and I won't give you the whole, 'Are you sure you know what you're getting yourselves into?' speech, and I know I would do the same thing in your position, but you have to understand, this time, the odds are different, most of the Order aren't even sure that all of us will come out alive." Tonks said.  
  
She paused.  
  
"You all have a future ahead of you." Tonks said. "I understand how you fell about this; I'm only about a decade older than you. I'm not old yet, and I haven't lost that young feeling either; that feeling that risks are what makes life adventurous. But, why put your future at risk? Why fight now, when you can save yourselves for the war we all know is coming?"  
  
"I admit, I sound like the others, but it's true. Harry, the chances of you getting killed in these situations are only increasing. The same goes for all of you. Any one of you could be kidnapped, or controlled by the Dark Lord. You could be used as leverage by him! You could be used against us!"  
  
"I'm not saying that you shouldn't risk you lives to save Jesabelle." She said. "If she was here, and she what was going to happen and we couldn't stop it, she would have told you the same thing. You know that, I know that."  
  
Harry and the others looked at each other. Tonks had a point.  
  
"On one of the few times we spoke of personal matters, she made me swear to her that if anything were to happen, if her father was able to get her back by some way or another, that I would not allow you to jeopardize your future."  
  
"She made you promise what?" Neville asked.  
  
"You heard me right." Tonks replied. "She was anticipating some action from her father."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Somehow, someway, they will find out the truth. I know that they will not take the news well. But, if by some strange reason, they want to come after me, stop them. I love all of them enough to tell you please, Tonks, tell them not to risk their future for me."  
  
"If I die, so be it, it was my destiny, but do let them throw themselves into danger, for they are worth more to the world than I am. If I die, then ensure their safety, make sure that they live on, so that they will fight and finally defeat my father, so that the souls of those lives he took away would be at peace."  
  
"The world needs them more than they need me. It is because of them that I continue to go against him, that I still fight and not give up. I fight for them, not for myself. Protect them, Tonks, it is my only wish. If I were to die, my soul would be at rest knowing that they will continue the struggle, and still have each other."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"She said that?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes." Tonks said. "She did, and she's right. No matter how long you argue with me, no matter what you say, I have to keep my word. I want to keep my word. I'm not going to break my promise to her; she has her heart in the right place when it comes down to you, all of you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
June 18, 2003 Friday  
  
I say again, time travels slowly. I have nothing to do but sit around, or rather, lay around. My arm hurts even as I write now, for I am still very weak from my run-in with the Dementor.  
  
I have enough insanity to actually think about thanking the Death Eater who saved me. Saved me? Why does that sound, well, not right? I actually want to thank him for healing me, too. Narcissa is beginning to rub off on me.  
  
Speaking of Narcissa, I heard from the Death Eaters that she returned home, back to Malfoy Manor. I suppose she's probably retrieving Draco for the Initiation Ceremony.  
  
Some Death Eaters are shipping out, from what I can tell, only about a handful of them are left, that should even the odds for the Ministry, if they're coming. There should be about a hundred of them left. Voldemort probably doesn't want to waste his men.  
  
I wonder how Draco's doing. For some reason, I kept having dreams about him. It was like all the good memories the Dementors took away from me were coming back. It was like I was taking back what was mine, which rarely happens when hanging around them too long, if not at all.  
  
It's all very strange, and I'm beginning to think that my father is putting pictures in my mind again, as another "test". But then again, these memories are real. That's the thing that scares me; I'm beginning to remember everything. I don't know why I am afraid, I just am, I guess.  
  
Questions fly all around my head. I can only do so much to stop from being dizzy, but one question stands out from all the others.  
  
Do I still really love Draco Malfoy?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Knock. Knock. Knock. The sound flooded into the Headmaster's office, where some of the members of the Order were gathered. Here stood Tonks, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Shacklebolt, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Moody, and Remus.  
  
It was midnight, the time ticking away, bringing in June 19, 2003, Saturday.  
  
"Come in." Dumbledore said, already suspecting who came to see him.  
  
Harry and the others stepped in, wearing traveling cloaks and dressed for action.  
  
"What is going on?" Molly asked.  
  
"We're coming with you." Harry said simply, sternly.  
  
"You are going to sit this one out!" Molly said, stamping her foot in frustration.  
  
"No we are not!" Ginny said.  
  
"Listen," Neville said. "Tonks. After what you told us earlier on, Jesabelle does not want us to jeopardize our future. We appreciate her concern, which is why we're here. We're not here to honor it; we're here to make sure that she will be a part of that future."  
  
"Neville," Tonks began.  
  
"We're not finished, yet." Luna said, cutting her off. "Let me ask you, why are you putting yourselves in danger for her?"  
  
The Order looked at each other, surprised by the sudden question.  
  
"And don't tell us that you're doing it because it's the right thing, we already know that." Hermione said.  
  
"Remus." Luna said, looking at him. "You hardly know Jesabelle that well. Molly, Arthur, bless your souls but the same goes for you, and you Shacklebolt, and even you, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall!"  
  
"Why are you putting yourselves on the line for her?" Neville asked seriously.  
  
"Because we did know her, at least, her story." Remus said.  
  
"Yes." McGonagall said, nodding slightly. "We knew everything from the start. Dumbledore's judgment was as good as our judgment as well. When we heard the entire story, Dumbledore didn't even need to ask most of the Order to help her. We all jumped on it immediately."  
  
"Besides," Remus said, "Some of us already knew her Mother."  
  
"You knew my Aunt Gema?" Harry asked.  
  
"Naturally." Remus said. "Being as she was James' older sister, she was the one who was able to get us out on our little trips in the first place, let alone cover for us when we needed to be covered. But that's beside the point. Most of us knew Gema. She was almost like family to us."  
  
"A fine young woman." McGonagall said, agreeing with Remus. "If there was any woman who could raise a child the right way, she was the one."  
  
"That is why we want to help Jesabelle." Arthur said. "Because we want to honor her Mother's soul in protecting her, and you."  
  
There was silence as Harry and the others processed this new piece of information.  
  
"Look, we know that you don't want us to go along, and believe me, you all know damn well that even though you say we can't come, we always manage to get in on it all the time." Harry said. "You might as well save yourselves the trouble and let us come along."  
  
"We love Jesabelle." Ginny said. "We want to give her another chance, and we're willing to fight to bring her back."  
  
Silence once again filled the room as McGonagall looked at Dumbledore. He sighed slightly, and nodded.  
  
"Travel light." He said. "We've got quite the journey ahead of us."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco walked out to the top of the tower, bending down on one knee before the Dark Lord, the smell of the sea surrounding Azkaban reaching his nose.  
  
"You have done well, Young Malfoy." Voldemort said.  
  
"I am pleased, my Lord, I only live to serve you." Draco said.  
  
"Good." Voldemort said. "You are ready for the Initiation."  
  
"What will you have me do, my Lord?" Draco asked.  
  
"You are going to help me with my plan for my daughter." Voldemort said. "You will play a big Part. You should be honored."  
  
"I am, my Lord." Draco said. "I will carry out your will."  
  
"Good." Voldemort said again, sneering.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
June 19, 2003 Saturday  
  
I am angry with myself. But, what's new these days? I keep thinking that Harry and the others will come and rescue me. How can I think of such things? They despise me, that I know for sure. Besides, even if they wanted to, Tonks is bound by her promise to me. But even I know that Harry will find a way to work around it, no matter how right I am. I seem noble in my promise. I remember it well.  
  
I really don't want to damage their future. I know in my heart that if they do come and try and save me, that they will survive. They always survive. But another part of me is afraid that maybe this battle might determine the course of the future.  
  
The Last Battle may be coming. It all fits together. Voldemort gathers all evil to him, and then uses it to attack with brute force. Azkaban was just the first step, next will be the Ministry, then England, then pretty soon, the whole world. Hope is slipping away from my fingers.  
  
If this is the Last Battle, will he win? Will we win? Or will we live to fight another day? Another battle?  
  
Where do I fit in this, there is no prophecy surrounding me, I am not connected in some ancient way. I seem to be a puzzle in the wrong puzzle box, but the fact still remains, Voldemort can use me to get into the confines of Dumbledore and the Ministry.  
  
What is the Ministry going to do about the Azkaban situation? I have not heard any new from anyone, it all seems to quiet around here. Voldemort has not come to see me either. I am suspicious, and afraid.  
  
What is he planning? What is he going to do to me? Is he going to kidnap Harry? What about Ginny, and Hermione, and Ron, and Neville, and Luna? What about them? Where is Narcissa? Where is Draco?  
  
I hate not knowing the answers to the questions that surround me, oh mum, I wish you were here, I need your guidance.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Night fell upon Azkaban as Jesabelle fought to escape from her cell. She had tried countless times that day, much to the entertainment of the Death Eaters standing guard. She spat out at them twice, and they laughed even harder, seeing her expression of frustration and anger.  
  
Time ticked by, weaving in ten o'clock that night, as Jesabelle slumped against the wall again, giving up the cause. How was she supposed to get out when she didn't even have a wand? She really was going mad.  
  
Eleven o'clock rolled around. Jesabelle was looking out of her window, and into the starless night, the crescent moon covered by the clouds. A storm was coming, she could see the dark clouds around coming around to settle over the prison. Draco, she thought, why did you leave me?  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when clicking sounds were once again heard from her door, swinging open to reveal Arnold Rockwood and Lucius Malfoy, three other masked Death Eaters behind them.  
  
"What, come to take the bad girl away?" Jesabelle asked sarcastically.  
  
"Exactly." Rockwood said. "Stupefy!"  
  
Jesabelle's world went black.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I wish I wore another cloak over this one." Hermione said.  
  
"So do I." Neville said.  
  
They, along with the Order, landed in a safe clearing near a wizarding village in northern England, where they were to head to a harbor to retrieve a boat.  
  
"No time for chit chat." Moody said. "Keep moving."  
  
They all nodded and held tightly on to their brooms as they walked towards the village. They crept through the forest surrounding it and came around to a small cottage in a clearing not too far away from the village.  
  
Slowly, Dumbledore knocked silently on the door. It opened to reveal an elderly wizard with graying hair.  
  
"Good evening, Andrew." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Albus!" the man named Andrew said. "Right on schedule. Come in, come in."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others gathered in a corner of the room while the Order spoke with Dumbledore.  
  
Members of the Order who were going to aid in the rescue were Moody, Remus, Molly, Arthur, Tonks, McGonagall, the man named Andrew, Percy, Hestia Jones, Shackletbolt, Emmeline Vance, Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore, and of course, Harry and the others. Snape had already journeyed to Azkaban keep his cover.  
  
"Here's the plan." Dumbledore said, as Hestia produced a blueprint of Azkaban on the table before them.  
  
"We take the boat halfway, and then swim the other half, using the Bubble-Head Charms. We scale the walls, and take out those who are guarding the outer rims." He continued pointing at the walls surrounding the prison.  
  
"From what Serverus has told us, most of the Death Eaters have been sent back, so only about a hundred or so, less than one hundred and fifty of them of them are left. The odds are fairly well. After taking out the guards, we slowly approach the inside. Molly, Arthur, Vance, Diggle, and Podmore, you will search the lower levels. Andrew, Shackletbolt, Moody, McGonagall, Jones, and myself will search the middle levels. And Remus, you, Harry, Ginny, and the others will take care of the higher levels."  
  
"When is the Ministry going to perform the spell?" Harry asked.  
  
"Monday, June 21st." Shackletbolt said.  
  
The others nodded and they ate a light meal, and then set off half an hour later.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle stirred slightly, her vision blurred. She opened her eyes slowly, letting herself adjust to the slightly dim light above.  
  
"Wake up, darling." A cold voice said, amused.  
  
Her vision cleared and Voldemort was standing before, his eyes flashing with anticipation.  
  
"Father?" she whispered questioningly.  
  
"Welcome to our special assembly, Jesabelle." Voldemort said.  
  
Jesabelle tried to move, but she was chained to a stone wall, her arms on either side of her head. She was slumped over, kneeling on the ground. She looked around to seen that she was in a room big enough to hold about twenty people. There were chairs situated a few feet before her, already occupied by important Death Eaters chosen to view the "show".  
  
Jesabelle looked down the line and saw Belatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Arnold and Augustus Rockwood, and a few others she did not recognize. But, wait, in the back row, Narcissa and Snape sat, speaking to each other, concerned looks on their faces.  
  
"What are you going to do to me?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"It's simple really." Voldemort said. "Have you ever heard of the curse with no name?"  
  
"Well, if it doesn't have a name, goes to show that I probably don't know what it is." Jesabelle said.  
  
Voldemort laughed at her defiance. Jesabelle felt cold chills go down her spine.  
  
"Very spiteful my Lord." Lestrange said, grinning.  
  
"Yes, very." Lucius said, agreeing.  
  
"She takes after her father." Another Death Eater said, a female.  
  
Voldemort smirked. "Well, The Curse with No Name is another form of the Cruciatus Curse. It is another form of torture, except it doesn't torture you physically, it tortures you emotionally."  
  
Jesabelle's eyes grew wide despite herself.  
  
"You're, you're," she began, stuttering.  
  
"Yes, I am going to place the curse upon you." Voldemort said.  
  
"Why?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Well, that's for me to know and you to find out." Voldemort said, snapping his fingers. Two masked Death Eaters came in, dragging another man into the room, the hood of his cloak over his head.  
  
"You see," Voldemort continued, as the man was thrown at his feet, making a coughing noise. "In order for the curse to be placed upon you properly, you have to be put under the worst emotional torture possible."  
  
He paused. "And this," he said picking up the man, removing the hood, revealing his face, "is the way by which we shall carry it out."  
  
Jesabelle gasped. The man was Draco Malfoy.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"No." she said. "Leave him out of this!" She screamed, struggling with the chains.  
  
Draco looked terrible, his lip cut, blood dripping out from his mouth and onto the stone floor. His grey eyes scanned the room and locked with Jesabelle's.  
  
Jesabelle continued to struggle in vain. Voldemort threw Draco to the floor and walked over to Jesabelle, his wand outstretched.  
  
"Il dolore di morte." He said, the tip of his wand pointing towards her heart.  
  
Jesabelle stiffened as he body grew cold, she suddenly felt weak. She slumped over, her head hanging. She looked up at him, still struggling slightly.  
  
"Esserà la sua fine." Voldemort continued, pointing his wand to the middle of Jesabelle's forehead.  
  
Jesabelle understood what he was saying. He was speaking Italian.  
  
~The pain of death shall be your end.~  
  
That's what he said. He was reciting a spell. Jesabelle suddenly felt warmth traveling through her and up to her fingertips. Two Death Eaters walked over and one held her down while the other forced a hot potion into her mouth.  
  
"Argh!" she screamed.  
  
"So it begins." Voldemort said. He stepped over to Draco and kicked him hard in the stomach.  
  
Jesabelle, realizing what was happening, struggled even more with the chains, as the other Death Eaters looked on.  
  
"Crucio!" Voldemort yelled, pointing at Draco.  
  
Draco began to twitch violently.  
  
"No!" Jesabelle screamed. "Leave him alone!"  
  
"Crucio!" Voldemort yelled even more forcefully. Draco twitched even more violently.  
  
"NOOOOOOO!" Jesabelle yelled. She felt instant pain and she jerked forward, looking at her arms. Her wounds were opening again. Every cut and gash she endured for the past week reopened, as Jesabelle fought to break free.  
  
Voldemort laughed, seeing Jesabelle's pain. "La tortura emotiva premerà il grilletto la sua punizione." He yelled, pointing his wand once more towards Jesabelle.  
  
~The emotional torture will trigger your punishment.~  
  
Voldemort removed a whip and whipped Draco's back. Lying on the ground, Draco arched forward, gritting his teeth.  
  
"Da questa notte su, lei sarà condannato." Voldemort said.  
  
~From this night on, you shall be condemned.~  
  
Voldemort whipped him again.  
  
The stone walls echoed Jesabelle's desperate cries.  
  
Tears filled her eyes and washed over Jesabelle's face as the pain of her wounds equaled the pain of her heart. She looked at Lucius.  
  
"You bastard!" she yelled, jerking slightly. "He's torturing you son! Will you nothing to stop him?"  
  
"I have no son." Lucius said.  
  
Voldemort whipped Draco again, this time, he cried out in agony.  
  
"Stop! Please!" Jesabelle cried out. "No! Please!"  
  
Voldemort laughed, the other Death Eaters joining with him, their voice echoing off the walls.  
  
"You sick, sick, people!" Jesabelle cried out, her tears falling like rain upon the stone floor as Voldemort landed another blow.  
  
Draco collapsed on the ground, his back cut and bleeding.  
  
"Jesabelle." He whispered, extending his arm. He was only a foot and a half away from her.  
  
"Draco." She said as Voldemort whipped him again.  
  
"I love you." He whispered loud enough for only her to hear. Jesabelle's eyes filled with even more tears.  
  
"Crucio!" Voldemort yelled. Draco twitched and twitched, crying out.  
  
"SSTTTTOOOOOOOPPPPPP!" Jesabelle yelled.  
  
Voldemort stopped, and looked at her.  
  
"Lei viverà su, il dolore della sua morte pesando giù sul suo cuore solitario." He hissed.  
  
~You shall live on, the pain of his death weighing down on your lonely heart.~  
  
Jesabelle struggled even more.  
  
"No." she said. "No."  
  
Voldemort pointed his wand toward Draco. "Avada Kedavra."  
  
"DRACOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jesabelle cried out as the flash of green light blinded her and Draco's body went limp.  
  
"Dunque fa è il suo destino." Voldemort said.  
  
~So shall it be your fate."  
  
"So shall it be done." Voldemort hissed, slowly walking out of the room, the rest of the Death Eaters following behind.  
  
Narcissa rose and looked towards Jesabelle, her face stoic. She had placed a spell on her so she would not weep. Then she too left, the last image on her mind before closing the dungeon door was of Jesabelle, hanging on the wall, blood flowing from her body, and of her son, dead.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Poor Jesabelle! (blows nose on tissue and dabs eyes). Damn that Voldemort!  
  
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Just in case the things ~insert text in here~ you saw in those were the translations to what Voldemort was saying.  
  
Please read and review!  
  
Stay Tuned..........Coming Up!  
  
Chapter 32: Harry and the others invade Azkaban. 


	32. Another Battle Fought

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 32: Another Battle Fought  
  
Harry tightened his cloak around him as he stood by the side of Andrew's boat. They had set sail two hours ago, and were all traveling on one boat. No one had said a word since they left the harbor; all were content on keeping silent.  
  
Ginny walked over to the side where Harry stood and grasped his cold hand in her own, looking up at him.  
  
"Don't look so grim." She said softly, smiling. A storm was steadily approaching and more fog was settling around them. Harry smiled, wondering at the same time how Ginny could smile in such depressing conditions.  
  
"You look as if we'll never come back from Azkaban." Ginny said seriously.  
  
"I'm just worried, Gin, that's all." Harry said, giving her small hand a comforting squeeze.  
  
"About Jesabelle?" Ginny asked, tilting her head to the side slightly. Harry nodded.  
  
"We don't even know if she's still alive." Harry said.  
  
"If Jesabelle has survived staying in the same room as Lucius Malfoy then I think she'll be fine." Ginny said, grinning.  
  
Harry laughed. "That's what I love about you Gin." He said, kissing her forehead lovingly, "You always know exactly what to say."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle's tears continued to fall upon the stone floor, mixing with her blood. Draco was dead. The words rang out in her head as she looked at his dead body.  
  
I love you. Those were his last words to her before her father took him away from her.  
  
She looked at his frail body, racked with the cuts and marks of the torture he endured, because of her. If she had stayed away from him, maybe he would have lived.  
  
Jesabelle's sobs grew louder as she was left to her thoughts.  
  
~Why did you have to love him? You know that every person you have ever loved has been taken away from you. First your mother, and now Draco. What were you thinking? You stupid, stupid girl. You took another life away. You caused Narcissa even more pain. Why didn't you just stay away?~  
  
Because I already fell in love with him.  
  
~You know the meaning of love? I think not.~  
  
Do not lecture me, I know my crime.  
  
~You are now cursed.~  
  
My father must be celebrating my pain right now, along with Lucius Malfoy. Bastards, all of them.  
  
Jesabelle closed her eyes, trying to force the image of Draco's body away from her mind, but instead, in a flash, she relived the entire ordeal.  
  
She cried out, the pain of her physical wounds cutting through to the pain of her aching heart. She screamed her agony, the sound echoing off the stone walls.  
  
Suddenly, her breath caught. Her heart ached, literally. She jerked forward suddenly. 72589. Her Azkaban brand bled, as did her Dark Mark. It was the curse at work.  
  
She coughed violently, and passed out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others kept a close eye on each other as they traveled underwater, protected by the Bubble Head Charm. The boat was anchored and charmed to stay in the same place it was stopped, so they had an escape.  
  
Tonks and Moody surfaced first, their eyes only visible above the water, scanning the area. They both dove back under and gave the others the sign that it was all right.  
  
They surfaced two by twos, cautiously walking onto the sand of the beach. They were walking into a cave underneath the prison on the eastern bend of a rock fissure.  
  
They looked up at the prison briefly and continued on, getting deeper into the cave. They lit their wands when they were a safe distance from the entrance of the cave, and Moody and Jones led the way.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, they came to a door. Keep Out. Ministry Personnel Only, the sign read.  
  
"How are we going to get in?" Hermione whispered, afraid that someone might hear her, though the chances were unlikely.  
  
"Just wait." Jones said. "Moody, what time do you have?"  
  
Moody shook up the sleeve of his right arm and looked at his watch.  
  
"I have exactly one o'clock." Moody growled.  
  
"All right, we'll just have to wait a bit, then." Jones said.  
  
"For what?" Harry asked as footsteps were heard from inside.  
  
They raised their wands, ready. The door swung open, revealing Narcissa Malfoy, eyes red and tired. She sniffled, and looked around at all of them, Snape following close behind her, his face grim.  
  
"Am I right in guessing that this is the Jesabelle Potter rescue party?" she asked.  
  
"Narcissa Malfoy?" Harry asked.  
  
"Good evening Mr. Potter." Narcissa said, bowing slightly. Harry and his friends exchanged glances, clearly confused.  
  
"We'll explain later, let's move." Moody said, leading the way. Narcissa stepped aside and closed the door tightly behind them. "Remember, stick to the plan about skirting the levels."  
  
"Where is she?" Harry asked, looking at Narcissa. "Where is Jesabelle?"  
  
Narcissa looked away, dabbing her eyes. "She's on the fourth floor, in the execution room. The seventh room on your left. There are five Death Eaters guarding her door." She answered shakily.  
  
"Narcissa," McGonagall said, reaching out to her, "are you all right?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine Minerva." Narcissa said, but no one believed her.  
  
"Is she?" Ginny asked, her eyes full of fear.  
  
"No, thank goodness." Narcissa said. "But you have to hurry."  
  
They all nodded.  
  
"There are exactly seven floors. Four Death Eaters each floor. Voldemort is on the seventh floor, with twenty other Death Eaters, celebrating." Narcissa said.  
  
"What are they celebrating?" Harry asked.  
  
Narcissa turned to him, looking into his green orbs full of concern and courage.  
  
"They are celebrating Jesabelle's emotional downfall." She said. "Hurry, you don't have much time."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"All right, the rest of you skirt the other levels, four minimum to each level. Tonks, Jones, and myself will retrieve Jesabelle." Moody said.  
  
"What about Voldemort?" Neville asked.  
  
"I will worry about that." Dumbledore said, the twinkling in his eyes long gone and replaced with a contained rage.  
  
"I want to retrieve Jesabelle." Harry said.  
  
"No, the fourth floor is very close to the Dark Lord." Moody said.  
  
"But, she needs us." Luna said. "She'll be frightened if you go and get her."  
  
"We can handle it ourselves." Hermione said.  
  
"Then Tonks and Remus will come with you." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Deal." Harry said.  
  
"Serverus, Narcissa, go up and join with the Dark Lord, but lay low, just keep your cover." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Yes, Albus." Snape said, nodding slightly.  
  
Snape and Narcissa nodded and disappeared behind a door.  
  
"Let's go." Shacklebolt said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm sorry, Draco." Jesabelle whispered to Draco's body, knowing there would be no response.  
  
I'm sorry.  
  
~It's too late to apologize now, isn't it?~  
  
Please, leave me be.  
  
Jesabelle's tears continued to fall, her eyes bloodshot. It was at that moment that she wanted to die more than anything.  
  
She pulled at the chains, violently screaming out.  
  
"Let me go Voldemort!" she screamed. "Do you hear me? LET ME GO!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tonks snuck out from a corner twisted a Death Eater's neck, killing him. She dropped his body to the ground and signaled to everyone that it was clear. They fanned out and nodded at each other, wishing the others luck.  
  
Remus led the party, followed by Harry, then Neville, Luna, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, then Tonks bringing up the rear.  
  
They made it up to the fourth floor without any run ins with any Death Eaters and stopped at a corner, looking out at Jesabelle's door, where the five Death Eaters stood like statues, their black cloaks and masked faces looking forward. It was hard to believe that they were even human.  
  
"All right." Remus whispered. "Tonks and I will take out the Death Eaters. When the coast is clear, come out."  
  
They nodded and Tonks slowly walked out, keeping to the wall.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" she said, thrusting a Death Eater four feet away from the door.  
  
"Stupefy!" Remus yelled, forcing another one away from the door.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" one of the Death Eaters said. Tonks dodged the spell and ran, knocking out the Death Eater with her fist.  
  
"Difindo!" Remus yelled. Another Death Eater's arm snapped, the crack echoing slightly through the corridor. The Death Eater groaned in pain and Remus kicked him the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.  
  
"Stupefy!" Tonks said, knocking the last Death Eater away from the door. Remus and Tonks placed binding spells on them and threw them in a heap at the side of the door.  
  
Harry looked out from the corner and saw Tonks nod. He nodded in response and they slowly approached the door.  
  
"Nice work." Ginny said, looking at the heap of Death Eaters.  
  
"Thanks." Tonks said.  
  
They turned toward the door, an old one made of fine wood with a doorknob. Execution Room. The words were written in black ink across the top part of the door.  
  
"Difindo!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the door.  
  
The spell hit the door but was repelled back to him by an invisible shield.  
  
Harry ducked as the spell hit the wall behind him, cracking it.  
  
"Damn!" he yelled.  
  
"They must have put charms on the door." Remus said. "Tonks, do you think you could break the charm?"  
  
Tonks shifted from side to side, looking at the door thoughtfully. "I think so; it looks like a simple one."  
  
She walked towards the door and touched it with the tip of her wand. Instantly, the shield began to spit out electric sparks.  
  
"The Lightning Protection Charm." Tonks said more to herself than to those around her. "Stand back."  
  
Harry and the others stood back as Tonks removed her wand and centered it in the middle of the door; more energy came from it as Tonks directed the energy to the top left corner of the door.  
  
"Incantatem Protego!" she yelled, forcing the door backward.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle twitched slightly, so lost in her mind that she didn't realize that someone broke into the room.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Harry yelled, running in.  
  
The others followed. Ginny's eyes filled with tears as Hermione put a hand over her mouth. Luna closed her eyes and opened them. Ron and Neville looked around, surveying the room. Tonks lit the torches inside.  
  
Jesabelle looked up at them, her eyes shinning, squinting from the sudden outburst of light from the torches.  
  
"Harry?" she cracked out.  
  
"Yes, Jesabelle, we're here, we've come to get you." Harry said as Tonks walked over and melted Jesabelle's chains.  
  
Jesabelle fell forward. Harry caught her in his arms, grimacing as he saw her wounds.  
  
"Jesabelle?" Ginny choked out as she, Hermione, Luna, Neville, and Ron approached her.  
  
"What happened?" Ginny cried, seeing her wounds.  
  
"He's dead." Jesabelle whispered, beginning to cry again as Harry sat her against the wall.  
  
"What?" Harry asked. "Who's dead?"  
  
Jesabelle looked to the side, where Draco's body lay, it's back facing them. None of them noticed it until now.  
  
Neville walked over and bent down, turning the body over.  
  
"Oh gods!" Neville said. "It's Draco!"  
  
"Draco Malfoy?" Tonks said, rushing over to the body.  
  
"Don't waste," Jesabelle began, breathing heavily as she grew weaker. "Don't waste your time."  
  
They looked at her, confused.  
  
"He's already dead." Jesabelle said, sobbing silently, turning away from the body.  
  
"What happened here?" Harry asked. "What happened to you?"  
  
"There's no time to explain." Remus called out from the entrance of the room. "It's already three o'clock. The Ministry will be here soon. We have to get her out of here and to the safety of the school."  
  
"Here, let me help her wounds a bit." Tonks said. She pointed her wand into Jesabelle's torn blouse at her torso. "Ferulas Spineas." Bandages appeared around Jesabelle's torso and over a few of the cuts on her back.  
  
Jesabelle twitched slightly.  
  
"Here, drink this." Tonks said, removing a green potion from her robes. "It's going to stop the bleeding and give you a bit more strength."  
  
Jesabelle drank the potion and coughed slightly at the taste.  
  
"All right." Harry said, lifting Jesabelle and carrying her in his arms. "I'll take care of Jesabelle. Let's go."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They cautiously made their way out of the Execution Room and down a flight of stairs leading to the third floor. Two minutes later, they were about to head down the next flight of stairs leading to the second floor when a flock of Death Eaters arrived, about ten of them, led by Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"There they are!" Lucius Malfoy yelled, pointing at them. "Get them!"  
  
The Death Eaters removed their wands from their robes.  
  
"Stupefy!" a voice boomed from behind them.  
  
Two Death Eaters were thrown forward, and the others turned around to see Moody, Jones, and Andrew standing there, their wands outstretched. Moody was the one who initiated the battle.  
  
"Get them!" he yelled again. "All of them, kill them all!"  
  
A battle raged on between the Order and the Death Eaters, each one dueling the other.  
  
"Go Harry!" Remus yelled and he threw Arnold Rockwood off him. "Get out of here! All of you!"  
  
They nodded and Ron and Luna led the way, followed by Harry and Jesabelle, Ginny, Hermione, and Neville bringing up the rear.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They were running along the second floor corridor when they heard a cold voice ring out through the hallway.  
  
"I think you are taking something of mine with you." The voice said.  
  
Harry and the others stopped dead in their tracks, looking around for the owner of the voice. A cold wind swept through the corridor and Voldemort appeared from behind the corner, grinning with satisfaction, Bellatrix Lestrange, Augustus Rockwood, Blake Marshall, and Gabriel Parker, following behind him.  
  
"And what exactly are we taking from you, Voldemort?" Neville asked defiantly.  
  
"Oh!" Lestrange said, cackling. "The little boy has finally grown a backbone since our last meeting."  
  
Rockwood grinned, while the Parker and Marshall laughed.  
  
"You little," Hermione said, rounding on Parker and Marshall.  
  
"Little what, Mudblood?" Marshall asked, looking at her.  
  
"What are you two doing here?" Ron screamed.  
  
"To serve our Lord in any way we can." Parker said, smiling wickedly.  
  
"And to become official followers." Marshall said, nodding slightly.  
  
"And why should he want anything to do with the two of you?" Ginny asked. "What have you done to help him?"  
  
"Enough." Voldemort said. "You two may head back to the school."  
  
Parker and Marshall took a step backward and turned around, walking down the corridor.  
  
"You've been spying on us!" Neville yelled behind their retreating backs.  
  
Marshall turned around, looking at Harry, who was still carrying Jesabelle in his arms. "Who do you think it was that tipped the Ministry off?"  
  
Voldemort and the other Death Eaters laughed.  
  
"Pity." Marshall said. "If that stupid Draco Malfoy didn't go against the Dark Lord, he might be laughing along with us."  
  
With that he turned around and left. Parker winked and blew a kiss towards them, strutting away behind Marshall.  
  
Voldemort smirked and stepped forward. Neville and Ron stood in between him and Harry and Jesabelle, serving as a shield, Luna, Hermione, and Ginny standing to either side of them.  
  
"Stay back!" Luna said, pointing her wand forward, as the others did.  
  
"Or what?" Voldemort asked, clearly amused. "You'll hex me? Really, Ms. Lovegood, I think you're over your head on that one."  
  
The others, confused, widened their eyes. Voldemort even knew who Luna was. Not many people knew about Luna's friendship with Harry and the rest of them. Marshall and Parker must have been passing on information to Voldemort ever since they both came to Hogwarts.  
  
Voldemort took another step forward. Harry and the others took a step backward. Before Harry could run, Lestrange and Rockwood came up behind him, blocking his way. Jesabelle was too weak to walk, so Harry could not reach for his wand.  
  
"We're not giving her up!" Harry yelled, eyeing Lestrange and Rockwood with disgust, rage filling his being.  
  
"Stop trying to be a hero, Potter." Rockwood said, taking a step towards him.  
  
Voldemort took another step toward them, his eyes flashing dangerously. "All right," he said, "have it your way."  
  
Surprisingly, Voldemort took three steps backward, away from them. Jesabelle stirred slightly, looking towards Voldemort. Slowly, she got out of Harry's arms and stood up, using Harry as support for her frail body.  
  
"How did it feel, Jesabelle?" Voldemort hissed, looking at Jesabelle, limp in Harry's arms. "How did it feel when I tortured him to death?"  
  
Jesabelle's breathing was labored as she looked at him, pure hatred in her eyes, the events of that night flashing through her mind.  
  
"He fought for you, you know." He said, casually looking up at her. "When he found out about the curse, he wanted us to stop it. He didn't want us to place the curse upon you."  
  
Jesabelle's body was racked with pain as her wounds reopened again. She gripped Harry's robes, wincing.  
  
"Jesabelle." Harry said.  
  
"It was then that I found out that he really did love you." Voldemort said.  
  
"Ahh." Jesabelle said, her legs failing her. She fell on her knees, blood flowing from her wounds, her Dark Mark, and her Azkaban brand, as it had before. She breathed heavily, looking up at her father with renewed strength.  
  
Don't let him win, she thought. Don't let him win.  
  
"He tried to hide his feelings for you from me." Voldemort continued. "But I saw right through him."  
  
Jesabelle jerked forward, arching her back, her head slightly thrown backward. She could see Draco being whipped. She watched him. She felt his pain.  
  
Harry watched in terror through Jesabelle's torn blouse as a new and fresh cut formed on her back.  
  
The others surrounded her, eyes widening, equaling Harry's terror as they too saw the cuts and scars of Jesabelle's torture.  
  
"He died for you, my dear." Voldemort said, eyes narrowing.  
  
Jesabelle jerked forward again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco collapsed on the ground, his back cut and bleeding.  
  
"Jesabelle." He whispered, extending his arm. He was only a foot and a half away from her.  
  
"Draco." She said as Voldemort whipped him again.  
  
"I love you." He whispered loud enough for only her to hear. Jesabelle's eyes filled with even more tears.  
  
"Crucio!" Voldemort yelled. Draco twitched and twitched, crying out.  
  
"SSTTTTOOOOOOOPPPPPP!" Jesabelle yelled.  
  
Voldemort stopped, and looked at her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"If it wasn't for you, he would still be alive." Voldemort said, his smirk growing wider. "Just like how your mother would still be alive if it wasn't for you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Lei viverà su, il dolore della sua morte pesando giù sul suo cuore solitario." He hissed.  
  
~You shall live on, the pain of his death weighing down on your lonely heart.~  
  
Jesabelle struggled even more.  
  
"No." she said. "No."  
  
Voldemort pointed his wand toward Draco. "Avada Kedavra."  
  
"DRACOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jesabelle cried out as the flash of green light blinded her and Draco's body went limp.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jesabelle screamed, the sudden sound of her voice echoing off the walls, sending chills down Harry's spine as she collapsed to the floor, weeping and twitching, wrapping herself into a little ball.  
  
"Draco." She whispered. "Draco."  
  
"You bastard!" Ron yelled, lunging for Voldemort.  
  
"Ron, no!" Hermione screamed, as Voldemort removed his wand from his robes in a flash.  
  
"Crucio!" Voldemort said, fire dancing in his eyes.  
  
Ron fell, twitching on the stone floor.  
  
"Ron." Jesabelle whispered.  
  
"Ron!" Harry yelled.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" a voice yelled.  
  
Voldemort was thrown backward slightly, his wand escaping from his hand. He turned around to find Dumbledore, his robes billowing in the breeze, Moody, Tonks, and Remus standing aside from him.  
  
"Albus." Voldemort said, narrowing his eyes in disgust.  
  
"Tom Riddle." Dumbledore said, matching his ferocity.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Four o'clock turned the corner as, Monday, June 21st continued its course.  
  
Cornelius Fudge stood on a small rowboat with two other Ministry workers, eyeing Azkaban grimly. They had camouflaged themselves using a charm and were assembling in a circle in their boats around the prison, staying a safe distance away from the shores.  
  
Fudge looked at his watch. Good, he thought, right on schedule. He nodded at the other officials in the boat and they nodded in response, both shooting sparks upward from their wands, both green, the fog blocking it from view.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dumbledore instantly shot silvery gold sparks from his wand.  
  
Voldemort ducked, running off to the side as Rockwood battled Moody, and Remus battled Lestrange.  
  
Voldemort withdrew a sword, a snake slithering around the end. Dumbledore in turn withdrew his own sword.  
  
"The Sword of Godric Gryffindor." Voldemort hissed, grinning with excitement. "Let us set the wands aside, Dumbledore; let's see how skilled you are with the sword!"  
  
Voldemort immediately ran towards Dumbledore, his sword held high above his head. Bringing it down on him, Voldemort amusedly smiled as Dumbledore quickly stopped him, his sword set horizontally in front of him, pushing Voldemort backwards.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The six boats moved slightly as small waves brushed against them. The officials eyed the signal and got into position, pointing their wands toward the highest tower of Azkaban.  
  
Fudge nodded again, seeing their readiness, extending his own wand out along with his comrades.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Escaping the fray, Harry and the others, stood to the corner. Harry lay Jesabelle against the wall as he fought his tears, looking at her with mixed emotions. She just lost Draco.  
  
Tonks crouched down in front of her, trying to fix her as best as she could, while Neville and Hermione helped Ron, sitting him down against the wall next to Jesabelle.  
  
"Here," Tonks said, handing Hermione a vial of clear liquid. "have Ron drink that."  
  
Hermione nodded and fed the potion to Ron. Color began to grace his face again as he coughed slightly, the cold sweat that formed upon his bow beginning to slide down his forehead.  
  
"He'll be fine now." Tonks said as the wall to their right exploded.  
  
Remus was fighting Lestrange with a ferocity that none of them had ever seen. She did, after all, kill Sirius.  
  
Jesabelle winced as Tonks tightened the bandages around her torso.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Distruzione!" Fudge yelled.  
  
"Distruzione!" the others yelled.  
  
White smoke leaked out of their wands, surrounding the prison. In a matter of seconds, Azkaban was covered in a bubble.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Voldemort and Dumbledore fought with rage as Voldemort cut Dumbledore's left cheek.  
  
Retaliating, Dumbledore lunged forward, their swords meeting and clashing with each strike the other sought to accomplish.  
  
Dumbledore jumped as Voldemort plunged his sword underneath his feet. Their swords met again Dumbledore lingering above Voldemort. It looked as if Dumbledore was about to win.  
  
"Tsk, tsk." Voldemort said, "Such rage, and here I thought you were more composed than that, Albus."  
  
He screamed, pushing Dumbledore away.  
  
Ginny looked out the window, seeing the white encampment they were put in.  
  
"The spell!" she screamed, getting up quickly. "They've already started!"  
  
Moody flew across the room, hitting the wall as Rockwood held his wand in front of him, pointing it at Moody's heart.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Neville yelled, hitting Rockwood straight away at the stomach.  
  
Rockwood flew backward, crashing into Lestrange.  
  
"Good one." Tonks said, risking a smile in the battle-filled atmosphere.  
  
"Thank you." Neville said, still looking at Rockwood and Lestrange, who were struggling to get up.  
  
"They're going to destroy the prison!" Luna said.  
  
Tonks looked out the window, her eyes filled with urgency as she saw the bubble turning red.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Distruzione!" Fudge yelled again, the bubble growing red.  
  
"Distruzione!" they yelled again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hearing Luna's words, Voldemort looked out the window, seeing the red atmosphere.  
  
"Looks like it's time to take my leave." Voldemort said.  
  
Lestrange and Rockwood were already heading down the stairs.  
  
"Stop them!" Harry yelled.  
  
Remus and Moody got up, chasing after them. Voldemort struggled with Dumbledore as he removed his wand.  
  
"Stupefy!" Voldemort yelled.  
  
Dumbledore wasn't fast enough and was blasted through a cell door, a large piece of wood hitting his side from the fray.  
  
"Albus!" Tonks yelled.  
  
No one noticed Harry slipped away.  
  
Voldemort stepped into the cell, smiling at his "victory".  
  
"Pity, Albus." He said. "To think, I expected more from you." He lifted his wand, pointing it towards Dumbledore, who was struggling with a bookshelf. He had fallen through into a small library.  
  
"Ava-" Voldemort began.  
  
"Ahhhhh!" Harry yelled, tackling Voldemort.  
  
Voldemort pushed Harry off.  
  
"Crucio!" he yelled.  
  
"Harry!" Luna and Ginny yelled as Harry began to twitch more violently than Ron did.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry was drowning in pain as he heard Voldemort's laughter, his head feeling as if it was splitting in half.  
  
He saw Sirius falling through the veil. He saw Jesabelle hanging from the wall, the chains stained with her blood. He saw Draco, dead, Jesabelle weeping.  
  
He saw Jesabelle jerking forward, pain etched on every feature of her face as her so-called "father" continued his verbal assault.  
  
No.  
  
Jesabelle.  
  
Get up, Harry.  
  
Don't give up.  
  
Fight.  
  
Ginny.  
  
Hermione.  
  
Luna.  
  
Neville.  
  
Ron.  
  
Dumbledore.  
  
Tonks.  
  
Jesabelle.  
  
He'll get Jesabelle.  
  
Get up.  
  
You have to protect them.  
  
Get up, Harry.  
  
Fight it.  
  
Protect them.  
  
Save them.  
  
Do it for mum and dad.  
  
Do it for Sirius.  
  
Do it for the Aunt Gema you never knew.  
  
Do it for them.  
  
Do it for yourself.  
  
FIGHT!  
  
GET UP!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Harry screamed, getting up, forcing the curse away.  
  
"No!" Voldemort screamed as Harry fell again, breathing heavily.  
  
For once, Voldemort seemed at a loss. He looked into the room, seeing Dumbledore already halfway through getting the shelf off of him. Tonks and the others were hovering a corner, too afraid to move.  
  
Then, he saw her. Jesabelle, standing in front of the window.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Tonks said, jumping in front of her.  
  
Harry shivered on the ground. Voldemort grinned as Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Ron ran to him. He could easily kill them. No, he would save it for another time. There was only one thing he needed.  
  
"Jesabelle." Voldemort said softly, extending his hand out to her. "My daughter, my darling little girl."  
  
~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Molly and Arthur ran out of the prison, waving frantically out to the Ministry.  
  
"Stop!" Arthur screamed.  
  
"Weasley!" Fudge screamed, dropping is wand.  
  
"Dumbledore and the others are inside!" Molly screamed.  
  
The workers in Fudge's boat rowed quickly to shore.  
  
"What is going on here?" Fudge yelled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Come along, my dear." Voldemort said, still using his fatherly voice.  
  
Jesabelle's eyes went blank, staring at him. Slowly, she began to walk forward.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Neville yelled, getting up. He tried to run to her, but was met with an invisible shield. Feeling the shield, he swore loudly, banging on the shield in desperation.  
  
Tonks tried to move as well, but found that her feet were glued to the ground. She frantically tried to pull her foot free, but there was no luck.  
  
"Don't listen to him!" she yelled.  
  
Jesabelle was four feet in front of Voldemort, taking very small steps.  
  
"That's it, child." Voldemort said, his hand still outstretched. "Take my hand. We wouldn't want to keep your mum waiting."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle smiled, looking like a young child. She did not see the pale face, the red eyes, the slitted nose, she saw the father she always wanted. She saw a middle-aged man, hair already graying at the ends. His kind eyes glowed with love as she slowly walked towards him.  
  
She was no longer in Azkaban; she was in a grassy field, the light breeze dusting through her hair, her father standing by a beautiful oak tree.  
  
In the distance, she glimpsed a Mansion, its luxurious appearance beckoning her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Jesabelle, don't listen to him!" Tonks yelled, vainly tugging at her legs, her wand two feet away from her. In her haste to protect Jesabelle, she had forgotten it on the ground.  
  
Neville and Ginny were banging on the invisible barrier, while Hermione and Ron were desperately trying to help Harry up.  
  
Harry was drifting in and out of consciousness as Hermione and Ron struggled to pull him up.  
  
Luna was trying to find another way around the corridor, but found that another transparent barrier was blocking her way. She tried again where Dumbledore was blasted through and found that another barrier prevented her from getting to him as well.  
  
Ron finally succeeded to pulling Harry up, placing him left arm around his shoulders and steadying him, using his own body as leverage. Luna returned to the others.  
  
"Jesabelle, please!" Ginny yelled, punching the barrier in desperation. "Stop!"  
  
Harry's eyes shot up, hearing Ginny's plea, realizing for the first time what was happening.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Harry screamed, pulling out of Ron grasp and leaning against the barrier, punching it in anger.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle looked around, hearing voices. The voices sound familiar, she thought.  
  
"Don't worry about them, dear." Voldemort said, his hand still outstretched. "They'll be fine. Move quickly now, my sweet, your mum is waiting."  
  
She was so close now, their hands were nearly touching.  
  
Something inside Jesabelle's mind clicked, and her eyes widened in fear.  
  
"No." she said, pulling her hand away. "No. My mum is dead."  
  
The beautiful, sun-filled sky suddenly turning dark with anger as a storm swiftly began to approach. The green grass and flowers of the field suddenly turned to ash, the entire setting transforming into a dark, dismal desert of despair.  
  
"Stupid girl!" Voldemort screamed. "I am taking you with me if it is the last thing I do!"  
  
"No!" Jesabelle screamed, struggling to get away. "Somebody please, help me!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The others watched as Jesabelle cried out for her mother, stumbling and tripping on her own feet, falling backwards, landing hard on the floor, her eyes wide.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"MUM!" Jesabelle screamed, her eyes lifted upward towards the sky.  
  
"No one can save you now, Jesabelle!" Voldemort said, the breeze picking up to a gust. "You're mine!"  
  
A voice suddenly began to resound throughout the prison.  
  
"Leave her be, Tom." The voice said.  
  
Voldemort looked up and around, Jesabelle's illusion fading, being replaced with the present, Azkaban's stone walls broken from the duels that took place just minutes ago.  
  
"Who is that?" he screamed in anger. "Show yourself, coward!"  
  
"I can't and you know that." The voice said again. The others listened carefully and realized that it was a female voice. "I'm already dead."  
  
"Gema." Voldemort said.  
  
"Yes." Gema Potter's voice replied. "Leave my daughter alone!"  
  
Voldemort paused, looking from Jesabelle, to Tonks, to Harry and the others. For the third time since his invasion in Azkaban Voldemort seemed to be lost, confused.  
  
Their eyes widened as Voldemort's own eyes transformed from blood red to white, with blue in the middle. His pale skin began to gain color, and his nose was no longer slits but a fine-shaped aristocratic one.  
  
No longer was the hate and rage inside Voldemort's eyes. His eyes no longer possessed a lust for power, it now possessed understanding, and, if one was so bold to say, kindness and generosity.  
  
In fact, it seemed as if this man was never Voldemort at all. It seemed as if this was the real Tom Marvolo Riddle. The man, the wizard, not the Dark Lord who despised half-bloods.  
  
"Gema?" he questioned again, his voice completely different. His voice sounded normal. It sounded like a man, a kind man. "Is that you, my love?"  
  
"Yes, Tom." Gema said again. "He is trying to take our daughter away."  
  
"No, we mustn't let him." Voldemort said.  
  
Harry, Jesabelle, Tonks, and the others looked around, bewildered at Voldemort's sudden change of personality.  
  
But just as quickly it had come, it had vanished. Voldemort's strange transformation quickly died away and was once again replaced with how he was before; the red eyes, the slits, the pale skin, the hatred, the lust, the power- hungry Lord.  
  
"What?" Harry whispered.  
  
Voldemort angrily looked around. Seeing Dumbledore struggling out of the small library, he once again realized that he would have to run again.  
  
He quickly made his way past Jesabelle, and then past Tonks, jumping upon the window sill and looking down, smirking at the surprised faces of the Ministry workers below.  
  
"Just wait, Potter." Voldemort hissed, looking from Harry, to Jesabelle. "Next time, Potter, next time."  
  
With that parting phrase, he jumped off the sill and in a small pop, he disappeared with a swish of his black cloak.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yeehaw! Okay, I know, I took a while. I am so sorry; my weirdo parents kept grounding me on and off. Wow! This is my longest chapter! Woohoo!  
  
Anyways, I really hope you liked this chapter. "Another Battle Fought" or, as I like to call it, "Operation Save Jesabelle from the Claws of the Dark Lord." Long, I know, that's why I just shortened it! Please read and review!  
  
Coming Up.........Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 33: Harry and the others are taken away to heal. What happened to Voldemort? How is Jesabelle going to cope with Draco's death now that it's about to sink in even more than it already is? Harry and the others find out what happened in Azkaban. Jesabelle breaks down. The Ministry decides what to do with her. 


	33. The Aftershock

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 33: The Aftershock  
  
Dumbledore quickly made his way out of the small library, limping slightly, his wand and sword in one hand. Tonks hurried towards Jesabelle, pulling her up. Ron and Neville quickly moved toward Dumbledore for support.  
  
"I'm all right, don't worry." Dumbledore said, grimacing as he pulled the piece of wood from his side.  
  
Luna and Ginny helped balance Harry between them as Hermione helped Tonks with Jesabelle.  
  
They heard the shouts of Ministry workers as Fudge appeared, looking at them with repressed anger.  
  
"We'll explain later. Cornelius." Dumbledore said firmly. "Right now, medical attention is needed."  
  
Harry's legs failed him. The room was spinning. Steadily, he passed out.  
  
"Harry." Jesabelle said, wincing.  
  
"Don't move Jesabelle." Tonks said as Remus, Moody, Shacklebolt, and various other Ministry workers skirted through the corridor.  
  
"You lost a lot of blood." Remus said, lifting her in his arms.  
  
Shacklebolt lifted Harry up in his arms as Moody approached Dumbledore.  
  
"That leg looks like a piece of work." Moody said, nodding at Dumbledore's bleeding leg.  
  
"Yes, it has been a while since I fought with a sword. I'm afraid I'm a bit rusty at the ends." Dumbledore said, drawing in a shaky breath, smiling at him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle winced as Remus lowered her into the bed. They were escorted by the Ministry to Hogwarts. Fudge didn't want the media to be picking around, as it would have been if they had gone to St. Mungo's. Reluctantly, Fudge had agreed.  
  
Harry, still unconscious, was lowered onto the bed beside her as Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville, and Tonks were being given potions for their recuperation, they had only sustained minor cuts and wounds.  
  
"Welcome back, Ms. Potter." Madame Pomfrey said, smiling at her, despite the pain she knew she was enduring. "My goodness." She continued, lifting her arm up and surveying the wounds.  
  
"My goodness is right, Poppy." Dumbledore said, closing the door.  
  
Two healers from St Mungo's were called earlier and were now busy attending to Dumbledore.  
  
"Is Harry going to be all right?" Jesabelle asked, her voice soft and unsteady.  
  
"He'll be fine." Pomfrey said. "Don't worry about him. Now," she continued, walking briskly over to a cupboard not too far from the bed, opening it and pulling various potions out.  
  
In a flash, she was feeding Jesabelle Anti-Vampire Repellant and tending to her cuts.  
  
"My gods." Pomfrey said, cleaning the wounds on Jesabelle's back. "What happened here?"  
  
Jesabelle kept silent, choosing to ignore everything that went on around her, wincing as Pomfrey gently turned her over.  
  
"You'll be fine in a few days." Pomfrey said as Jesabelle propped herself against the head of the bed.  
  
"Thank you." Jesabelle said softly, looking at Harry worriedly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was midday by the time Harry woke up, rubbing his head. He and Jesabelle had already been changed into their pajamas.  
  
Harry looked around, Ron and the others were talking with Dumbledore as Jesabelle fought with Madame Pomfrey.  
  
"I'm not hungry, Madame." Jesabelle said, pushing the tray away.  
  
"You haven't eaten all day!" Pomfrey said in frustration.  
  
"Please!" Jesabelle said forcefully, startling the old nurse. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "Thank you, but I'm not hungry."  
  
Pomfrey nodded, skittering off with the tray. Harry noticed that various other trays of food had gone untouched. He guessed that none of them had eaten as Jesabelle turned toward him, realizing her was awake.  
  
"Harry." Jesabelle said, diverting everyone's attention towards him.  
  
"Harry!" Ron and Ginny said, quickly walking towards his bed.  
  
"Are you all right?" Hermione asked as she, Neville, and Luna followed.  
  
"I'm feeling better." Harry said.  
  
The door opened slowly, revealing Tonks, Jones, Shacklebolt, Moody, Remus, Molly and Arthur, Andrew, Snape, and surprisingly, Fred and George.  
  
"Fred!" Ginny said, "George!"  
  
"Hello, love." George said as Ginny ran up to him, hugging him tightly.  
  
"Don't I get one of those?" Feed asked, smiling. Ginny returned his smile and hugged him tightly as well.  
  
"Harry, dear!" Molly said, running over to Harry's bedside, fussing.  
  
"I'm all right Molly." Harry said, smiling.  
  
Jesabelle gave them a small smile, turning to look out the window.  
  
"Jesabelle." Remus said, walking over to her and sitting on the edge of her bed.  
  
"Remus." Jesabelle said, struggling to sit up at a better position.  
  
Seeing her wince, Remus waved her away. "Don't worry about sitting up straight for me, Jesabelle."  
  
"How are you?" Arthur asked, appearing next to Remus.  
  
"I'm all right, Mr. Weasley, thank you." Jesabelle said, giving him a small smile.  
  
Molly was busy fussing over Ron and the others. They all laughed as Neville tried to push Molly playfully away. Their laughs, however, were quickly pushed aside when everyone grew quiet, looking at Dumbledore, who had cleared his throat.  
  
"Now that everyone is well." Dumbledore began. "I think it's time to talk about what happened, if you're willing to tell us, Jesabelle."  
  
Jesabelle felt everyone's eyes on her as she turned away from the window towards them.  
  
"Where should I start?" she asked softly.  
  
"From the beginning, if you would like." Dumbledore said.  
  
Jesabelle cleared her scratchy throat and winced at the obvious pain of her sore body.  
  
"The Siege." Jesabelle began. "They injected me with Vampire Repellant, and branded me. Then Voldemort took over, and came to see me first." She paused, gathering her breath.  
  
"Take as much time as you need." Harry said as the rest nodded.  
  
"He tried to poison my mind, and I couldn't fight. His effect on me did not go unnoticed." She continued, lifting her arms. "In the time I was there, Narcissa Malfoy, helped me keep going, and kept me company."  
  
"Narcissa?" Luna asked.  
  
"Narcissa Malfoy is a double agent for the Ministry of Magic." Jesabelle replied. "She was the one person who took care me while I was still living in Voldemort's grasp. The only friend I had among the Death Eaters."  
  
Harry nodded, understanding the statement.  
  
"I hardly ate, barely slept. The Dementors were never around; there were just Death Eaters guarding my cell." She continued.  
  
"But one, night, I guess on of the Dementors were getting hungry, so he decided to take a piece out of me."  
  
Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville, Luna, and Ginny held their breath.  
  
"It came by my cell, made me relive the night Lucius Malfoy tortured me as punishment from Voldemort for a weakness of some sort."  
  
Everyone in the room eyed the cuts and wounds on her arms.  
  
"A Death Eater fought him back, and healed me." Jesabelle continued.  
  
"A Death Eater?" Neville asked.  
  
"Yes." Jesabelle replied. "Few days later, Voldemort started sending most the Death Eaters back home. Then, just hours ago, Voldemort took me away to the Execution Room and placed The Curse with No Name upon me."  
  
"The Curse with No Name?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes." Jesabelle said again. "But, in order for the process to work properly, the victim had to be under the worst emotional torture possible."  
  
She stopped then, the events of that night, flashing again through her eyes. She breathed heavily, her eyes filling with tears. She inhaled deeply, shakily.  
  
"He then brought Draco forward." Jesabelle said, shivering. "He, he, he tortured him."  
  
The others exchanged glances. Jesabelle's tears began to fall down her cheeks as she struggled to keep herself together.  
  
"He whipped him." She said, her sobs beginning to interfere with her voice. "Then, he killed him, completing the curse."  
  
Jesabelle clutched her chest suddenly, breathing heavily. Everyone in the room panicked as she let out raspy breaths, jerking forward. She quickly jumped out of the bed with amazing speed that surprised everyone as she gripped her head, hearing Draco's screams of pain.  
  
"No!" she screamed, her back turned to everyone in the room. "No!"  
  
"Jesabelle." Remus said, reaching out to her.  
  
"Ah!" she screamed as she felt again the whip fall upon her back, every wound and cut reopening as she relieved Draco's death.  
  
Everyone watched in terror as Jesabelle, still gripping her head, banged it against the wall, in an effort to get Voldemort's cold laughs out of her head.  
  
"Draco!" she screamed, fresh blood beginning soaking through her bandages.  
  
They watched helplessly, unsure of what to do as Jesabelle ripped off the bandages in her arms, barring for all to see the bleeding Dark Mark and Azkaban brand.  
  
"NOOOOOOOO!" Jesabelle screamed, banging her fists on the wall, jerking forward again.  
  
Harry quickly got out of bed, rushing towards her, and gathering her sobbing form into his arms.  
  
"He's gone!" Jesabelle screamed into Harry's chest. "Draco's dead. He's not coming back!"  
  
She continued mumbling into his chest as Harry ran a hand up and down Jesabelle's back, in an effort to comfort her.  
  
Jesabelle clutched her chest again, backing away from Harry, then in one gasp, she passed out, falling to the ground.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hours later, around nine thirty in the evening, Jesabelle opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by unfamiliar faces.  
  
"You're finally awake." Fudge said, appearing next to her.  
  
"What?" Jesabelle started, trying to get up. "What's going on?"  
  
"We've come to decide what we're going to do with you." Fudge said coldly.  
  
"Cornelius." Dumbledore said, looking tired. "Apparently, Ms. Potter is still recuperating from her run-in with the Dark Lord, show some courtesy."  
  
Fudge angrily sat down in an armchair nearby, the five other officials who accompanied him standing close by the windows and doors. A few seconds later, he stood up, looking at Dumbledore.  
  
"We will have to take her in for the hearing the first minute we know that she is well." Fudge said.  
  
"May I ask a favor?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"In favor of the Death Eater?" Fudge asked.  
  
"Don't call her that!" Harry said angrily.  
  
"Silence, Potter." Fudge said. "What is it, Dumbledore?"  
  
"I will agree to hand her over when the time comes, but on one condition," Dumbledore began.  
  
"And what is that?" Fudge asked.  
  
"That she graduates the proper way from this school." Dumbledore finished.  
  
"Do you think that your staff will accept that?" Fudge asked, as if unable to believe what Dumbledore was asking, "Do you think the students will accept that?"  
  
"The staff is on her side, as are most of the students who know her personally." Dumbledore said.  
  
"What makes you think that I will agree to your proposition?" Fudge asked smugly.  
  
"I don't." Dumbledore said simply, locking his eyes with Fudge's own.  
  
The room was silent as they bored into each other's mind. Fudge turned away suddenly, blinking. Straightening up, he looked at Jesabelle.  
  
"All right." Fudge said in defeat. "She will graduate from this school the proper way, but she is not to leave the Hospital Wing, unless it is to gather her things, and she is not permitted to go to the Graduation Ball."  
  
"Agreed." Dumbledore said.  
  
"It's not I like was planning on going in the first place." Jesabelle said, eyeing Fudge with disgust.  
  
"You're lucky, Potter." Fudge said in disgust. "I don't usual grant requests like this."  
  
"Oh, my I am very much obliged, Minister." Jesabelle said, sarcastically feigning surprise. "I just feel so special, but no, wait, I'm not supposed to be special, I'm just another low life Death eater, right?"  
  
Fudge narrowed his eyes before leaving, closing the door behind him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others were ready to leave the Hospital Wing by Tuesday, the next day.  
  
Jesabelle had not spoken to them since, preferring to stare out of the window next to her bed and into the sky. She barely ate either. But, they all thought it best to leave her alone.  
  
The whole school was abuzz with excitement as Harry and the others reached the Great Hall that night.  
  
Upon realizing their arrival, the Hall grew silent, watching them with interested eyes.  
  
Harry and the others took no notice of them and sat down at the Gryffindor table, inviting Luna along, they didn't want her to deal with all the questions by herself.  
  
Seeing that Harry and the others would not do anything else other than eat, the Great Hall grew noisy again, the students' laughs filling the air.  
  
"How's Jesabelle doing?" Seamus asked.  
  
"She hasn't eaten for days." Hermione said, not moving to put any food on her plate.  
  
The others didn't make any other move either.  
  
"So," Ron said, "you think Jesabelle's innocent?"  
  
"Why not?" Dean said. "Of course she is! She just go it in with the wrong crowd, that's all, it happens all the time."  
  
"But," Ella Bell said, inching over, "is it true-"  
  
"That she's the Dark Lord's daughter?" Harry asked, finishing for her.  
  
"Yes." Ella said. "Sorry for asking."  
  
"No, it's all right Ella, and yes, it is true, she is his daughter." Harry replied.  
  
They grew silent as Dean passed Lavender a biscuit.  
  
"You all should eat; I'll bet you're hungry." Dean said, trying to sound cheerful.  
  
"No, thanks Dean." Neville said.  
  
They paused again.  
  
"So, Draco Malfoy." Seamus said. "He's really, dead, isn't he?"  
  
"Yes." Ginny said. "He is."  
  
Seamus, Dean, Ella, Paravati, Colin, and Lavender sighed.  
  
"He was a good guy." Colin offered.  
  
"How's she holding up?" Paravati asked.  
  
"She's not eating, and she hasn't spoken much to us for a while." Harry said sadly.  
  
"She loved him." Luna said.  
  
They all looked up at her, somewhat shaken up by her latest statement.  
  
"Yeah." Ron said, breaking the silence. "She sure did."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Here Harry." Colin said, handing Harry a brown envelope.  
  
"What's this?" Harry asked, Colin walking in step with him up to the Hospital Wing.  
  
"It's the copies of the pictures I took a little while ago of all of you." Colin said.  
  
"Oh, that's right." Harry said, remembering the day. "Why don't you give it to her yourself?"  
  
Colin smiled sadly. "I would, but I would much rather you give it to her. Just send her my love."  
  
"Sure." Harry said, watching as Colin turned a corner.  
  
In a few minutes, Harry entered the Hospital Wing slowly. The clock nearby the door signaled eight thirty in the evening. Tonks and Remus were standing by, guarding the doors and windows.  
  
"Hello Remus, Tonks." Harry said.  
  
"Evening Harry." Remus said.  
  
"How are you?' Tonks asked.  
  
"Could be better." Harry said, lowering his voice, he continued, "How is she?"  
  
"Not a word spoken since this afternoon." Remus said.  
  
Harry nodded, sadly looking at Jesabelle, who was looking out the window and into the night. "Has she gotten any sleep?"  
  
"She drifted off for a bit, but woke up screaming. Madame Pomfrey had to change her bandages afterwards, ghastly marks." Tonks said.  
  
Harry sighed and thanked them, slowly walking towards Jesabelle's bed.  
  
"You know." Jesabelle said softly. "My mother always told me that the stars were lucky."  
  
Harry took a seat right beside her, in her vision range.  
  
"How so?" he asked.  
  
Jesabelle turned toward him, her eyes tinges pink, dark circles penetrating her light skin.  
  
"All they had to do was shine and just be there, as some sort of special form of comfort." Jesabelle said.  
  
Harry nodded, signaling for her to continue.  
  
"Where are the others?' Jesabelle asked.  
  
"They're having a meeting with Dumbledore." Harry said.  
  
An uncomfortable silence settled over the both of them as Remus and Tonks shuffled around.  
  
"Why are you here?" Jesabelle asked, surprising Harry. "Remember, you're in the presence of a Death Eater, you wouldn't some of me to rub off on you."  
  
"I didn't mean that." Harry said, moving the chair closing to Jesabelle's bedside.  
  
"Then why did you say it?" Jesabelle asked, her voice shaking with repressed sadness.  
  
"I was angry." Harry said, admitting to the truth. "How would you feel if you found out your cousin was a Death Eater? And Voldemort's daughter. And that she plotted against you because she didn't know she was related you?"  
  
"I'd feel terrible." Jesabelle said, her face straight.  
  
"I'm sorry about that." Harry said, taking her hand in his. "We're sorry about everything. We should have never doubted you."  
  
"It's all right." Jesabelle said, looking out the window again, "I didn't even expect you to save me in the first place."  
  
"You may have been a Death Eater." Harry said. "But you're also part of our family."  
  
Jesabelle inhaled heavily, her eyes swelling with tears.  
  
"Here." Harry said, handing her the envelope Colin gave him. "Colin wanted me to give that to you."  
  
Harry released Jesabelle's hand as she opened the envelope, removing the large picture from it.  
  
"It's the picture we took," Jesabelle said. "the day before I tried to leave."  
  
She traced a finer upon the faces of each person in the picture, all of them making funny faces.  
  
"I remember that day." Jesabelle said softly. "Hermione caught the ball and was nearly trampled on by Ron in that football game."  
  
"She was so scared." Harry said, laughing softly.  
  
For the first time since she was rescued from Azkaban, Jesabelle smiled at the memory. Harry realized for the first time how much he missed that smile and smiled as well.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Thursday came around, the night of the Graduation Ball.  
  
It was five o'clock by the time Harry and the others came by to stay with Jesabelle.  
  
"Go ahead Jesabelle." Fred said, handing her a fake wand.  
  
"Try it." George said.  
  
The whole Weasley family, excluding Ron and Ginny, who had just walked in, were visiting with Jesabelle.  
  
"It's not going to explode, is it?' Jesabelle asked uncertainly, looking from Bill to Charlie for support.  
  
"Fred and George already used up all of the exploding ones on us Jesabelle." Charlie said, pointing his thumb backwards towards Bill. "I don't think you have to worry."  
  
Jesabelle slowly gripped the end of the wand. In a flash, fireworks appeared, red and gold, forming a lion.  
  
"Get well soon!" The Weasley family said.  
  
Jesabelle laughed, smiling at them.  
  
"Thank you." She said, sniffling slightly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I'm sorry I took so long! (Ducks, narrowly avoiding missiles.) I'm grounded. I was finally able to sneak up in here though. I hope you all liked the chapter!  
  
Please read and review!  
  
Coming Up...................Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 34: Graduation. 


	34. Graduation Day

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 34: Graduation Day  
  
"All right, everyone." Pomfrey said, bustling past Percy and Arthur, carrying towels, a basin of water, and three vials of potion. "Sorry to break it up dears, but it's time for the bandage change."  
  
The Weasleys groaned in unison as Pomfrey walked over, handing Jesabelle one of the vials.  
  
"Do I really have to drink the Anti-Vampire Repellant?" Jesabelle asked, giving the vial in her hand a disapproving look.  
  
"Yes, Jesabelle, you have to." Pomfrey said, smiling at Jesabelle's obvious discomfort.  
  
Jesabelle sighed and downed the contents of the vial, swallowing hard, grimacing.  
  
"Jolly good show." Molly said. "Jesabelle dear, we're sorry, but we have to go."  
  
"Order business." Percy said, winking.  
  
"All right then, take care, all of you." Jesabelle said, smiling as the Weasleys exited the room.  
  
Harry and the others took seats around Jesabelle's bed as she put her gifts away, which mainly consisted of joke stuff, homemade sweets, and candy from Hogsmeade.  
  
"You're so lucky to have a family like that." Jesabelle said, smiling at Ron and Ginny.  
  
"Thanks." Ginny said. "They're great."  
  
They continued to talk for a bit more until six-thirty turned the corner.  
  
Jesabelle eyed the clock nearby her bed. "It's almost time for the Graduation Ball."  
  
"Oh yeah, that's right." Harry said, looking at his watch.  
  
Jesabelle watched them, waiting for a sign of any movement.  
  
"Aren't you going to go and get ready?" she asked, confused. "I mean, it's supposed to be a night of fun, right? A night where you all get to party and have a great time with each other just for the last time. Everyone's going to be there."  
  
"We aren't going." Ginny said.  
  
"Why not?" Jesabelle asked, surprised.  
  
"Because not everyone is going to be there." Neville said simply.  
  
"What do you mean?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"You're stuck here in this bed until Graduation." Hermione said. "If you can't go to the ball-"  
  
"Then we won't go either." Luna finished.  
  
A knock sounded at the Hospital Wing door, causing everyone to jump slightly. Hermione go up and opened the door, revealing Seamus, Dean, Paravati, Lavender, Ella Bell, Colin, and his brother Dennis.  
  
"Hello Hermione." Ella said softly. "Is Jesabelle resting?"  
  
"Oh no," Hermione said, opening the door wider. "Come on in."  
  
They all walked in, carrying little bags and wrapped boxes.  
  
"Hello Jesabelle." Dean said, smiling.  
  
"What are all of you doing here?" Jesabelle asked as they deposited their gifts on the bed next to hers.  
  
"We wanted to visit and spend the night with you." Seamus said.  
  
Jesabelle opened her mouth to say something but Lavender beat her to it.  
  
"We know that the Ball is taking place tonight. But to tell you the truth, we don't care for it." Lavender said.  
  
"All people ever talk about is you these days." Paravati said. "We've tried so many times to tell them to just stuff it, but no one wants to."  
  
"It's the subject of gossip these days." Colin said, placing a photo album among the gifts.  
  
Jesabelle smile and thanked each one of them gratefully for their gifts.  
  
"I'm really going to have to eat some of these gifts." Jesabelle said, picking at the wrapper of a box of chocolates. "I should tell Madame Pomfrey that she shouldn't bring me food anymore. All of this is going to last me for a while."  
  
They laughed and talked, sharing memories together, playing Exploding Snap and Wizards Chess until Madame Pomfrey shooed them away around midnight.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
June 25th. Graduation Day. Friday.  
  
Jesabelle, along with Remus and Tonks, walked down to the Great Hall. Remus and Tonks walked on either side of her, as if they were her bodyguards.  
  
Jesabelle sighed as she got in a line outside the doors of the Great Hall, which were closed.  
  
The top fifteen ranking students were to walk in procession into the Great Hall, where the other students were already seated. She had placed number five of all numbers. Hermione was number one (who'd have thought?), Ginny was number three, and Jesabelle was, well, number five. Neville had placed number ten, while Susan Bones placed ninth.  
  
"Five minutes." She heard Ginny whisper to Hermione excitedly.  
  
Jesabelle sighed again. Her back stung from all the wounds that were not yet healed, and her left leg was cramping. She didn't want to graduate with the rest of her class, but Remus and all the other members of the Order encouraged her to do so.  
  
"Don't worry about what they'll think of you." She remembered Tonks saying the night before. "What matters is what you think about yourself."  
  
Nine o'clock came around and the Great Hall doors opened, revealing the rest of the graduating class, dressed in their uniforms at the front, the rest of the guests in the back. They all stood up.  
  
"We now present the top ranking students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's Class of 2004." Dumbledore said as a wave of applause rang throughout the entire hall.  
  
"Hermione Granger, ranking number one." McGonagall said, taking over.  
  
Hermione walked up to the front of the Great Hall and bowed towards the teachers, who were seated at the front. Five to seven Ministry officials, including Fudge, were seated at the same table as the staff, watching the event.  
  
"Blake Marshall, ranking number two." McGonagall continued.  
  
Jesabelle and the rest of the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs narrowed their eyes as Blake Marshall walked up the path, his head held high, a triumphant smile across his face.  
  
"Ginny Weasley, ranking number three."  
  
Ginny walked up proudly as the cheers of all of her brothers sounded through the hall.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, ranking number four."  
  
The hall went silent in respect to the man who was never going to walk down the path.  
  
Jesabelle's breath hitched. She didn't know Draco was number four. Don't think about it, she pressed herself. Don't lose yourself now. Remember, they're watching you.  
  
"Jesabelle Potter, ranking number five."  
  
The hall's silence grew deafening as Jesabelle slowly made her way down the path. All eyes were on her as she looked forward, determining to show them that she wasn't going to show any sign of relent.  
  
Dumbledore began to clap, followed by the Weasleys, members of the Order, and majority of the graduating class.  
  
By the time Jesabelle bowed in front of the teachers, cheers were sounding through the hall. She hid her smile and kept her face straight as she took her place beside Harry.  
  
The process continued on for another fifteen minutes. When it was over, everyone sat down to listen to Dumbledore's overview of the school year.  
  
"A fine day for a graduation." Dumbledore said, smiling. "Don't worry; my speech will be short and to the point. You'll be out soon, graduates, just give me a few minutes."  
  
The crowd laughed at his statement and Dumbledore continued.  
  
"This year was full of mishaps and happenings. I congratulate all of you in making it this far. Although one of you will not be joining us today, we continue to look ahead. May I please ask all of us to take a moment of silence in honor of Draco Malfoy's soul."  
  
The Hall remained silent. Some people bowed their heads while others smirked and rolled their eyes. Jesabelle closed her eyes, blocking out the world if only to clear her mind for a second, in respect for Draco's soul.  
  
A little while later, Dumbledore continued.  
  
"Please graduates, be safe. Another war against the Dark Lord is beginning to take shape. I must caution all of you, be careful in your actions and choices, for there will always be sacrifices and consequences in such a time as this."  
  
Jesabelle and Harry followed Dumbledore's gaze, finding that it led up to Blake Marshall and Gabriel Parker, who looked away in slight fear.  
  
"I hope that all of you will follow the right path, for the future still lies ahead. For those who may take the wrong path, may you find your way back. You may have finished this chapter of your life, but another one will open."  
  
"We shall miss each and every single one of you. We wish you all the best of luck in all that you will do in the future."  
  
The audience clapped as Dumbledore stepped off the platform.  
  
When the applause died down, Hermione stepped up to the platform to make her Valedictorian speech.  
  
"A good morning to my fellow graduates, school staff, and all present here today." Hermione began, smiling. "The year has come and gone and all of us are reaching another phase in our lives. It is sad that Draco Malfoy will not be joining us today, bless his soul. But, as Headmaster Dumbledore said, we must continue to move ahead, for the future is still to come."  
  
Some of the audience members nodded in agreement.  
  
"We will all be choosing different roads, and some of us may be separating for one reason or another."  
  
Hermione paused, looking at Jesabelle, who returned her gaze.  
  
"But we shall not see this as the end, for it is only the beginning of another step in our lives. We must all step on, our heads held high. We have all stuck together; we have all known each other ever since the beginning of our time here. Although some of the relationships we had with each other here were as enemies, we will at least remember each other, if only as an enemy."  
  
"Some of us have hit some hard spots, but we have learned to pick each other up afterwards. These halls are full of memory, and even though for some, majority of those memories are terrible, we remember the happy ones with a smile."  
  
Hermione paused.  
  
"Thank you Hogwarts. We are not saying 'Goodbye' but rather 'See you later'. Thank you."  
  
The Hall exploded with claps and cheers as Hermione, grinning, stepped off the platform.  
  
The handing out of the diplomas came next. Each student was called in alphabetical order, walking onto the platform, receiving their scrolls from Minister Fudge.  
  
"Harry Potter." McGonagall said.  
  
Everyone (discounting the Slytherins) cheered as Harry walked onto the platform, shaking Fudge's hand.  
  
"Jesabelle Potter."  
  
The Hall was surprisingly full of cheers, which blocked out the protesting sounds from some of the other audience members.  
  
Jesabelle walked up the platform, and, under the gaze of disapproving Ministry members, received her diploma.  
  
"Congratulations Potter." Fudge said, not meaning it.  
  
"Thank you Minister." Jesabelle said, shaking his hand, grinning with sarcastic happiness. Her eyes flashed and for a second, Fudge looked afraid of her. A second later, the feeling dissolved and Jesabelle walked off the platform.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Congratulations, Class of 2004!" Dumbledore said, ending the ceremony.  
  
Everyone cheered, throwing their pointed hats in the air.  
  
Fred and George shot up rockets of fireworks. McGonagall, surprisingly, did not scold them, but rather smiled, clapping along with the rest of the people in the Hall.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Congratulations Jesabelle!" Tonks said, hugging her. She moved on to hug the others as Jesabelle felt someone tap her on the shoulder.  
  
She turned around to find a blond middle-aged woman smiling at her.  
  
"Narcissa!" Jesabelle said, smiling and hugging her tightly.  
  
"Congratulations dear." Narcissa said, rubbing Jesabelle's back with her palm. "And here I am thinking that they would make you graduate from a jail cell or courtroom."  
  
Jesabelle laughed as Narcissa pulled away, handing her a white teddy bear dressed in a Gryffindor Hogwarts uniform.  
  
"It's adorable!" Jesabelle said, looking at the bear in her hands. "How did you get the uniform on it?"  
  
"It's custom made." Narcissa said, handing her a bouquet of white roses.  
  
"Thank you." Jesabelle said, taking the flowers.  
  
"Draco would be proud." Narcissa said softly, so that only Jesabelle could hear it.  
  
Jesabelle's smile faltered and tears began to fill her eyes as she nodded.  
  
"He would be, wouldn't he?" Jesabelle said, her smile righting itself.  
  
"Jesabelle!" Harry said from behind her.  
  
Jesabelle turned around and Harry hugged her tightly.  
  
"We made it Harry." Jesabelle said, tightening her hold on him.  
  
Hermione and the others soon found their way over as well, followed by the Weasley family, a few Gryffindors, and members from the Order.  
  
Harry and Jesabelle pulled away as a Ministry official walked up to them. He was a tall man with black hair and gray eyes who looked in his middle ages.  
  
"Ms. Potter." He said, smiling at her.  
  
Jesabelle looked up at him, her smile growing wider.  
  
"Mr. Freedman!" Jesabelle said, hugging him.  
  
"Good old Sean!" Percy said, slapping the man in the back. "You made it after all."  
  
"He was a good friend of your Aunt Gema's." Remus said, earning some nods from the others.  
  
"Congratulations Jesabelle, I'm proud of you." Sean said, releasing Jesabelle and handing her a wrapped gift. "From me and the family."  
  
"Thank you." Jesabelle replied.  
  
"Mrs. Malfoy." Freedman said, bowing slightly.  
  
"Please." Narcissa said. "I prefer to be called Ms. Black when not in the presence of my husband, and I like to be called Narcissa, Sean."  
  
Freedman smiled at all of them.  
  
"You must be Harry." He said, shaking Harry's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"No the pleasure is mine sir." Harry said. "So are you an Auror?"  
  
"Yes, I am actually, I worked with your Aunt Gema in the Department of Mysteries."  
  
Ron and the others smiled as another Ministry official walked up to them. They eyed him curiously. He was a big muscular man, more of the bodyguard type than an Auror type with a face that looked as if it was always angry, and nearly no neck. He reminded Harry of his Uncle Vernon.  
  
"Jesabelle Potter." The official said. "Gather your things. Pack light. We will leave in a while. I will escort you to your dormitory."  
  
"Let me, Simon." Freedman said, standing beside Jesabelle. "I'll take care of it."  
  
The official nodded and disappeared among the crowd, the top of his head still seen above the flurry of people.  
  
Jesabelle's eyes were cast down, eyeing her gifts with a neutral stare.  
  
"Let's head up." Freedman said, rubbing her back comfortingly.  
  
"Just once." Jesabelle said, looking up at them. "Just once I wish I could have been happy for just a little while."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle and Sean Freedman walked up the stairs and down the corridor leading to the Heads' Dorm.  
  
Seeing the picture, Jesabelle stopped in front of it, eyeing it with obvious sadness.  
  
"What's wrong?" Freedman asked, looking from Jesabelle to the picture.  
  
"It's just been a while since I've been in here, that's all." Jesabelle whispered, looking up at the portrait.  
  
Seeing Jesabelle, the wizard stirred slightly, giving Jesabelle a slightly pitiful gaze.  
  
"My greatest of condolences." He said softly, sad at Jesabelle's downcast eyes.  
  
"Thank you, sir." Jesabelle said as the portrait swung open, allowing them to step in.  
  
Jesabelle looked around the room, inhaling the familiar scent of the wood and furniture in the Common Room.  
  
She sighed, willing herself not to cry. She moved quickly towards her room as Freedman took a seat at one of the couches near the fireplace. Despite she and Draco's absence, the house elves still worked to keep the room cozy, but it didn't offer Jesabelle any comfort as she removed another back pack from her closet, opening it and placing a few robes, jeans, and shirts into it.  
  
Freedman knocked on the open door.  
  
"Can I come in?" he asked.  
  
"Sure." Jesabelle said, giving him a small smile as he walked inside.  
  
Silence filled the gap between them as Jesabelle continued to pack a few more things into her backpack. Books, notebooks, small boxes full of letters from her childhood, and other notebooks full of her original poetry.  
  
"You've grown." Freedman said.  
  
"That's what happens in the course of years." Jesabelle said, throwing in a pair of shoes and trying her best to put everything in neatly so that she wouldn't have too many things to carry, she doubted the Ministry would even let her keep her things with her for very long.  
  
Freedman laughed. "Funny."  
  
"Thank you." Jesabelle said, walking back to her closet and rummaging through it, seeing if there was anything else she wanted to take with her.  
  
"You look just like your mother." Freedman said softly.  
  
Jesabelle looked up from the closet and slowly walked to the side of the bed. She met his eyes and looked away.  
  
"I may look like my mother, but we are very different." Jesabelle said, fingering a rose from the bouquet Narcissa gave her.  
  
"That's true, but you can't blame me for saying that you have grown to be just as beautiful as your mother was." Freedman said.  
  
"Was. She was beautiful." Jesabelle said sternly. "Is there a point to this?"  
  
"Why do you say that you are very different from your mother?" Freedman asked.  
  
"What's with the line of questions?" Jesabelle asked, looking up at him.  
  
"I haven't seen you ever since the beginning of your sixth year, Jesabelle." Freedman said. "As your godfather, I want to take advantage of this time to talk with you. You have no idea how worried I have been about you."  
  
Jesabelle turned away, closing her eyes.  
  
"I know, I'm sorry." She replied softly. "It's just been really hard these past few weeks."  
  
"With Draco Malfoy, you mean?" Freedman asked.  
  
Jesabelle nodded, her back still turned to him.  
  
"We may look the same, my mum and I, but I lack her strength." Jesabelle said, her voice choked out.  
  
"I lack her courage, I lack her spirit. I'm her complete opposite." Jesabelle continued, turning around to face him, her eyes brimming with tears. "I was never brave like she was. I was never able to pick myself up. And even when I did, I was always beat down."  
  
With that, she began sobbing again.  
  
Freedman walked up to her and held her.  
  
"I just wish she was here." Jesabelle cried. "I can't deal with Draco's death without her. I wish that it didn't have to be this way. First she was taken away, then Draco. Who is he going to take away next?"  
  
"Shh." Freedman said soothingly.  
  
"All I wanted was for love, was that so much to ask?" she continued. "It is a lot to ask. I'm Voldemort's daughter."  
  
She pulled away, turning around.  
  
"I'm Voldemort's god damn daughter!" she screamed.  
  
Freedman stood there, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do. Jesabelle, her tears falling, picked up her side table and threw it at the wall, the contents inside the drawers falling out.  
  
It was then that Harry walked in, surprised at the sudden uproar. Freedman noticed him and stepped out of the room, nodding towards Harry, and then closing the door behind him, knowing that he and Jesabelle needed time alone.  
  
Harry approached Jesabelle, stopping as he heard Jesabelle sniff the air slightly.  
  
"Harry?" she asked.  
  
"What's wrong, Jesabelle?" Harry asked.  
  
"Everything." Jesabelle whispered as she looked at the ground. Her heart stopped. There at her feet, was the brown Christmas decorated paper bag that Draco gave her gingerbread cookies in on Christmas day. She bent over and picked it up, inhaling it, Draco's scent surprisingly still lingering on the paper. She sighed heavily and stood up, turning the paper over in her hands, as if trying to remember a forgotten memory.  
  
It all flashed back to her in a whirlwind of emotions. His love for her. The love they shared. The love her father took away from her.  
  
She felt her bandages fill slightly with blood as she stumbled slightly. She caught her balance and sighed heavily, wiping her tears and turning towards Harry, trying her best to smile.  
  
"Could you keep this for me?" Jesabelle asked, picking up a shoe box and handing it to Harry along with the paper bag. "I don't want any memories to come with me when I go."  
  
"Of course." Harry said.  
  
"I'd better finish packing." Jesabelle said. Harry nodded, not sure what to say, and walked out of the room.  
  
Five minutes later, Jesabelle emerged, carrying a backpack and a small duffle bag.  
  
"Let's go." Jesabelle said.  
  
Freedman nodded and the three of them exited the Heads' Dorm.  
  
"The best of luck dear, the best of luck." The portrait said, saluting her.  
  
Jesabelle smiled and they walked down the stairs.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The Great Hall by then was transformed into a dinning area, where the graduates were eating a complimentary lunch with their families and guests that was provided by the school.  
  
By the time Jesabelle stepped off the last step of the staircase leading to the dormitories, five Ministry officials immediately surrounded her.  
  
Without a word, one of them took her bags while another pulled her arms roughly behind her back and handcuffed her hands. Despite the twinge of pain in arms at the sudden movement, Jesabelle did not cringe.  
  
Harry and Freedman watched helplessly as Jesabelle was taken away, her face set straight.  
  
It was as they were walking by the opening of the Great Hall that Fred, George, and Ginny walk out. The three of them stared at her as she walked by, not even giving them a glance.  
  
The entrance doors opened, revealing a beautiful, sun-filled day, most of the students out playing around or taking it easy.  
  
Seeing sight of Jesabelle, though, most of them cleared off the path. Most of the graduates (once again, not including the Slytherins) gathered at the doors, spilling out onto the side of the path the officials were taking.  
  
Jesabelle looked from side to side slowly, looking each person she knew in the face. Her eyes fell upon Colin Creevey and his brother Dennis. Colin nodded to show his support and belief in her innocence and Jesabelle gave him a small smile, returning his nod.  
  
Whispers were unleashed all around her as the younger members of the school pointed at her, some backing away in fear.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sean Freedman made his way through the crowd, finally stopping in front of Harry and shaking his hand.  
  
"Please." Hermione said. "Please look after her."  
  
"For us." Percy said.  
  
Freedman nodded and followed the officials, his head buzzing with the promise he made to the people he had just left behind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle turned her head slightly, looking at Hogwarts for one last time, her eyes falling upon Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Luna, Neville, the Weasley family, and members of the Order.  
  
She nodded towards them and looked away, saying good-bye to the school she had grown to love, not shedding a tear as she continued on.  
  
And it was on June 25th, 2004, Friday, Graduation Day, that at 1:47 PM Jesabelle Potter left Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, knowing what lay ahead and despised herself for creating the path that lead to it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! (Ducks, missing really sharp arrows). Here's the chapter! Anyways, I hope it was worth the long wait!  
  
Please read and review!  
  
Coming Up..............Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 35: (gasps) The Hearing. 


	35. The Hearing

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 35: The Hearing  
  
Notorious Death Eater Brought Into Custody  
  
Jesabelle Potter, who was originally arrested and sent to Azkaban on June 11th, was brought into custody yesterday after Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, allowed for her to properly graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as requested by Headmaster of the school, Albus Dumbledore.  
  
She is currently being held for further questioning and imprisonment at the Ministry of Magic Headquarters, where her hearing will take place tomorrow, on Sunday, June 27th.  
  
But, the growing dislike of this Death Eater only grows even stronger as new information about this mysterious Death Eater has arisen, thanks to an anonymous source.  
  
"She is the daughter of the Dark Lord." Our source states. "She is his own flesh and blood."  
  
Although this statement has not been proven true, members of the public are already criticizing Fudge by keeping her alive.  
  
"If everything is true, then we have more to fear." A female village member of Hogsmeade said. "Even if we defeat the Dark Lord, will this daughter of his rise to take his place and continue his work?"  
  
"Fudge is a fool to keep her alive."  
  
Protesters are already beginning to form at the Ministry of Magic, carrying signs and demanding that Potter should receive the Dementor's Kiss.  
  
Members of Fudge's council are already working to control the crowd, explaining to them that by killing Potter, they may not be able to gain any new information about her supposed "father" that may aid them in the upcoming war.  
  
"I think the rumors are true though." One of the protestors said. "Why would You-Know-Who go through so much trouble to capture Azkaban if his daughter wasn't there in the first place?"  
  
"Common sense. Once Potter was sent to Azkaban, the siege began. The Ministry is blind to that fact, thinking that there is a possibility that it could just be come sort of false rumor caused by the tabloids to make them look bad."  
  
"I agree with them." Another anonymous source said. "I know for sure, and I am willing to bet my life on it, that Jesabelle Potter is the Dark Lord's daughter."  
  
"What makes you say that?" a representative for the Prophet asked.  
  
"Because I was an undercover Death Eater for the Ministry of Magic until recently, when my cover was blown. I was there at Azkaban. And he (Voldemort) always spoke of retrieving his daughter, Jesabelle Potter." The source replied.  
  
We say again to the public that despite all the other comments printed here, that the Ministry of Magic is running some tests to see if the rumors are true. We can only wait for the outcome of the hearing that will take place tomorrow.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Argh!" Harry screamed, hurling the newspaper at the wall.  
  
They were still in Hogwarts, sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room. Everyone else had already left for summer vacation on the trains just that morning.  
  
Dumbledore had allowed them to remain behind, along with the staff and some members of the Order, knowing that Hogwarts was the safest place to stay at the time.  
  
The Dursleys were currently being persuaded by Lupin and Tonks to leave Privet Drive and come to Hogwarts for their own safety.  
  
"Who told the Prophet about Jesabelle's past?" Luna asked as Ron ran hand through his hair in exasperation.  
  
"Probably a pawn sent in by Voldemort to make Fudge look bad." Harry said angrily as Ginny got up and picked up the paper from the ground where it landed.  
  
Ginny glanced at it. "They want her to receive the Death Eater's Kiss!" she screamed in terror.  
  
"Is there no mercy left in this world?" Hermione asked, feeling Harry's anger rising within her as well.  
  
"We have to go to the hearing tomorrow." Neville said.  
  
"But what if they won't let us in?" Ron asked.  
  
"We'll just say we're there to witness the 'event' or something." Hermione said.  
  
"We have to talk to Dumbledore about this." Harry said.  
  
Then, as if on cue, the portrait swung open and Dumbledore stepped in, followed by McGonagall, who looked grim, the Daily Prophet in her hand.  
  
"Pull your cloaks on." He said. "We have a hearing to go to."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle sat in a room with a small table and chair. She was chained to the chair and she listened, the silence beginning to take its toll on her patience.  
  
She was brought in here yesterday evening and questioned for the entire night. She didn't risk sleep; she did not want to have nightmares, especially here in the Ministry of Magic, where everyone thought she was lower than dirt.  
  
She lifted her head as Hestia Jones stepped in, closing the door she entered through behind her, its outline and doorknob disappearing with the rest of the war, camouflaged.  
  
Smart, Jesabelle thought as Jones sat down in a chair across the table from her.  
  
She was carrying a file in her hand and opened it, looking at a stack of papers stating date of birth, living areas, time of arrest, papers on the siege, and blank pieces of parchment.  
  
"Good Afternoon, Auror Jones." Jesabelle said, bowing her head as a sign of respect towards her.  
  
"Good afternoon Jesabelle." Jones said, giving her a small smile.  
  
"You're still exchanging pleasantries with me, that's a good sign." Jesabelle said. "Isn't anyone listening to our every word?" she asked, looking around the room. It was painted in a neutral shade of gray.  
  
"No, it's just the two of us." Jones said.  
  
"I see." Jesabelle replied, looking back at her.  
  
"The Head Aurors agreed with me when I wanted to have a one on one with you." Jones said. "We all know that it is the best way to get information out of suspects."  
  
"And if you can't get any information out of me in the next hour and half, depending, you have permission to beat me for it." Jesabelle said.  
  
"We usually do that for the lower criminals." Jones said. "Now the bigger ones are usually harder to crack. We've found in years past that beating a criminal of your stature gets you nowhere. So we have settled for the nice, slow way, the manipulation of the mind."  
  
"Ah, yes, psychology." Jesabelle said, obviously impressed by the Ministry's sense of change. She leaned forward in her chair.  
  
"You sit there, talking with the most evil Death Eaters, making them feel guilty, and naming all the people they killed, imitating the screams they made as they killed them. Then," she clicked her tongue, making Jones jump slightly in her chair.  
  
"Those with the weakest will crack like an egg during breakfast time. And as you continue on your verbal assault, you add oil to the frying pan where they lay, and they continue to shrink and shrivel, feeding you every piece of information you want to know."  
  
Jones remained silent, staring at the seventeen year old girl sitting in front of her, slightly shaken by Jesabelle's cool attitude. She cleared her throat and shifted uneasily in her chair, still eyeing Jesabelle.  
  
"And even with the most toughest, like, let's say, Bellatrix Lestrange, you just try to force her to drink Veritaserum, and when an Auror gets a piece of his hand removed, thanks to her teeth, you just decide that she won't say anything and throw her into Azkaban." Jesabelle finished, obviously disgusted.  
  
Jones went over Jesabelle's statement in her mind. If her memory served her right, that was exactly what happened when they brought Lestrange in two years ago.  
  
Jesabelle leaned back in her chair, smiling.  
  
"Voldemort knows a lot more about the systems in here than you do, Auror Jones, so I think you should all be careful." Jesabelle said.  
  
"Listen, Jesabelle, I can sit here all day, and I will if I have to, but listen and listen good." Jones said, leaning forward, folding her hands in front of her on the table. "You're not very popular with the people protesting on the floor above you."  
  
"Obviously not." Jesabelle said. "I'm a Death Eater."  
  
"And word has spread throughout the public and the media about your secret connection with Voldemort." Jones said.  
  
"Let me guess, an 'anonymous source' was sent out there to ruin the Ministry?" Jesabelle asked, not surprised.  
  
"Yes, and the public are criticizing the Ministry. They want you to receive the Dementor's Kiss." Jones said.  
  
Jesabelle sighed and shook her head. "But?" she asked.  
  
"Fudge wants to keep you alive." Jones said. "He thinks you could be useful."  
  
"As bait, right?" Jesabelle said. "Leverage?"  
  
"Exactly." Jones said.  
  
Silence fell upon them as Jesabelle went over the entire situation in her head.  
  
"What questions do you have for me?" Jesabelle asked.  
  
"Before we start, I need you to drink this." Jones said, pulling out a vial.  
  
"Veritaserum." Jesabelle said as Jones stood up and walked around the table towards her.  
  
"Hestia." She said. "My hearing is tomorrow, I hate my father, and I am as guilty of as many crimes as Lucius Malfoy himself, I don't think I'm going to lie to you when I answer your questions. I want my punishment to be as lenient as possible, considering the crimes."  
  
Jones stepped back.  
  
"I'm willing to accept whatever punishment they will give me." Jesabelle said.  
  
Jones nodded and sat down in her chair, removing a quill from her robe and placing the Veritaserum on the table. She flipped through the file again and stopped at one page, reading it over in her mind. A few seconds later, she looked up and inhaled deeply.  
  
"Jesabelle Carlanna Potter. Born September 15, 1986. Parents Gema Potter and Thomas Marvolo Riddle." Jesabelle said, before Jones could ask.  
  
"All right." Jones said.  
  
"In the time when my mother was working for the Ministry of Magic as an Auror for the Department of Mysteries, she also served as a double agent for the Ministry, passing on information from Voldemort's inner circle until her cover was blown." Jesabelle continued.  
  
"The Ministry granted her protection and she left Voldemort's fortress when she found out she was pregnant with me. Sean Freedman, Auror, Department of Mysteries, help set up secret safe houses for us for eleven years. We move twenty-three times, until my mother's death on March 19, 1997. I was then kidnapped and forced to study the Dark Arts."  
  
Jones scribbled on the parchment in front of her, listening attentively.  
  
"I was bitten and became a vampire when I was five, but we never registered." Jesabelle continued. "And yes, I plotted against Harry Potter and the Ministry of Magic."  
  
"Why?" Jones asked.  
  
"I did not know I was a Potter." Jesabelle said simply. "We were always registered under a different last name."  
  
"I left Voldemort, or, ran away from him to Durmstrang in Bulgaria when I was sixteen, where I studied before coming to Hogwarts."  
  
"Did Dumbledore know about your past and you connections with the Death Eaters when he accepted you into the school?" Jones asked, still scribbling.  
  
"Yes." Jesabelle replied. "Does that pretty much cover all of it?"  
  
"Just about." Jones said, eyeing the parchment before closing the file.  
  
"Thank you." Jesabelle said as Jones got up.  
  
Jones nodded and smiled at her. "Oh, and just so you know," she said. "I think you're not at fault for a lot of things that you did. I think you're innocent."  
  
Jesabelle gave Jones a small smile as she turned around and knocked on the wall behind her. The door appeared and she stepped out, closing it behind her, the door once again fading into the wall.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"JESABELLE POTTER IS GUILTY!" a man screamed over the crowd, standing at the raised platform of the fountain that was situated in the middle of the Atrium.  
  
Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Neville, Remus, Tonks, Moody, and McGonagall, led by Dumbledore pushed through the protestors. It took them the whole say yesterday to get from Hogwarts to the Ministry.  
  
"SHE DESERVES THE DEMENTOR'S KISS!" the man screamed again.  
  
The crowd screamed, throwing up their signs, showing their agreement.  
  
Harry and the others looked at the crowd; a few of them (the tall and skinny ones) were wearing gray cloaks, representing Dementors. Others were carrying signs with grotesque portraits of various forms of torture. Others were carrying signs that bore the Dark Mark with a big red X slashed across it.  
  
The crowd was beginning to heat up.  
  
"DEATH TO THE DARK LORD'S DAUGHTER!" he continued. "DEATH TO JESABELLE POTTER!"  
  
The crowd screamed again in response as Harry and the others finally pushed their way to the front.  
  
"It's Harry Potter!" one of the protestors screamed.  
  
It was chaos as the crowd began turning towards where Harry and the others stood. Suddenly, tens of voices were all talking at once.  
  
"What are you going to do about your cousin?" one asked.  
  
"Do you think she deserves the Kiss?" another asked.  
  
"Were you two close?"  
  
"Is it true that she's You-Know-Who's daughter?"  
  
"Is it true fought against you in Azkaban?"  
  
"Is it true that she's one of the most powerful Death Eaters in the Dark Lord's army?"  
  
"Is it true she's been studying the Dark Arts since she was three years old?"  
  
Is it true?  
  
Is it true?  
  
IS IT TRUE?  
  
Harry rolled his eyes and pushed through the crowd, finally making it to the elevator. They pilled inside and pushed the button that lead them down to the lower levels, where the hearing would take place. The doors closed just as the crowd was moving towards them.  
  
They exhaled deeply and stood in silence as the voice once again proclaimed what levels they were heading past.  
  
Finally, five minutes later, they reached the ninth level.  
  
Harry and the others walked out and Dumbledore turned to the right, opening a wooden door and proceeding down some stairs, leading to the tenth level, the Courtrooms.  
  
"According to Hestia, the hearing should take place at Room 17." Tonks said, taking the lead.  
  
They reached the room in not much time and opened the door, stepping in cautiously.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Sunday, June 25." Jesabelle said, looking up at the ceiling. "My, is this going to be fun."  
  
The door appeared again, except to her left and it opened, revealing five Aurors. Jesabelle recognized three of them to be part of the party that arrested her just a while ago. They were all wearing black coats.  
  
Two Aurors removed the chains from around Jesabelle's torso as the other three stood on. They pulled her out of the chair a little roughly and placed more chains on her, handcuffing her hands. One led them out while Jesabelle followed, one Auror on either side of her.  
  
Jesabelle eyed the stone walls as they walked. A few minutes later, they came to a door guarded by another Auror.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry and the others took seats behind the back. Surprisingly, no one noticed.  
  
The Hearing Room was packed with people, their faces grim and set. Harry and the others doubted any one of them would show any mercy towards Jesabelle.  
  
Hestia Jones stood up from the front row, holding a piece of parchment. Neville checked his clock.  
  
"Right on time, ten o'clock." He said, looking up to the front as Jones stood in front of the court, unrolling the parchment and holding it before her.  
  
"All rise for the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and his Council." Jones said, her voice ringing out through the room.  
  
Everyone in the room stood up as Fudge, followed by Umbridge, Percy, and three other older Ministry members walked in from a door and took their seats at their raised platform, Fudge at the center, Umbridge on his right. Everyone sat back down.  
  
A door on their right opened and Jesabelle stepped in, flanked by the Aurors. They led her to a chair and she sat down, placing an arm on each arm of the chair. The chains surrounding it surrounded her torso and shackles came around her hands and chained her to the chair.  
  
Jesabelle looked up at Fudge and the council.  
  
Harry and the others watched as the entire process took place, all feeling equally nervous about the hearing that was about to take place.  
  
"Jesabelle Carlanna Potter Riddle. Prisoner number 72589." Jones said. "You are present here to be properly charged for you crimes."  
  
Jesabelle nodded.  
  
"These crimes include conspiring against the Ministry of Magic, participating in the Dark Arts, becoming a Death Eater, serving the Dark Lord, conspiring against Harry Potter, and, lastly, for the murder of Draco Malfoy." Jones finished, a questioning look on her face.  
  
Harry and the others gasped.  
  
"NO!" Harry said, standing up.  
  
"Harry!" Dumbledore said.  
  
"Potter." Umbridge snarled.  
  
"She did not kill Draco Malfoy!" Harry screamed.  
  
"Harry!" Jesabelle screamed.  
  
"Mr. Potter, restrain yourself!" Fudge said as Auror made their way towards the back where they sat.  
  
The rest of the assembly turned around, surprised.  
  
"Sit down Harry!" Ron said, pulling Harry down.  
  
The Auror stopped at their row and stood behind it, eyeing Harry with dislike.  
  
"As Auror Jones has stated, among the other crimes that we all know Riddle is guilty for," Umbridge said, "she is also responsible for the death of Draco Malfoy."  
  
Jesabelle twitched slightly at being called a Riddle and glared at Umbridge. She knew better than to try and defend herself. She decided to try and relax, waiting to see what the Ministry had up their sleeves.  
  
"To present proof of this accusation," Jones continued, "the Ministry of Magic brings to you our witness, Gabriel Parker."  
  
Jesabelle, Harry, and the others looked up in surprise as Gabriel Parker walked into the room, holding a white handkerchief, sniffling slightly, sitting in a chair on a raised platform at the assembly's left.  
  
"Welcome Ms. Parker, we are glad you were able to join us." Umbridge said, using the most disgusting sweet voice they had ever heard.  
  
"Thank you, Madam." Parker said. "But I am only here to assist the Ministry in bringing this monster to justice."  
  
Parker looked at Jesabelle, and she felt anger rush within her.  
  
"Would you please tell us what you witnessed at Azkaban prison?" Umbridge asked.  
  
"Yes, of course." Parker said, wiping her nose.  
  
Jesabelle could tell she was faking and was disgusted beyond words. She felt she was going to throw up any second as Parker continued.  
  
"I've been working with the Ministry as an undercover Death Eater." Parker said.  
  
Jesabelle grunted.  
  
"I was summoned by V-V-Voldemort to come to Azkaban. I left Hogwarts and headed to the island. When I got there, Jesabelle had already been released, and she was speaking with Voldemort about their plans to take over the Ministry." Parker said.  
  
She paused, wiping the corners of her eyes.  
  
"A few days later, I was walking down the corridors of the prison, searching for Jesabelle when I heard laughter coming from her "cell". Then I heard screams. I decided to see what was going on."  
  
"And then?" Fudge asked softly.  
  
"And then," Parker 'choked', beginning to 'sob'. "I walked in to find Jesabelle, holding up a dagger, laughing like a maniac, Draco's body covered in blood at her feet."  
  
The assembly nodded to each other as Parker began to 'sob' greatly, using the handkerchief to 'wipe her tears away'.  
  
"Do you have this dagger?" Percy asked. He, as well as Harry and the others, could see through the act. He didn't trust her.  
  
"Yes, I do." Parker said, opening her purse and pulling out a dagger with a silver crusted base. "She threw it at me with Draco Malfoy's blood still on it, saying that it as too bad I missed the show and that this was a souvenir."  
  
Jones walked up and examined the dagger.  
  
She looked up at the council saying, "There are traces of dried blood left on this dagger."  
  
Percy sighed inwardly as Fudge leaned over to him.  
  
"We've got her now." He whispered, obviously pleased. "She won't be able to wiggle her way out this time."  
  
Percy nodded, feeling grim.  
  
Parker began crying loudly now.  
  
"She's a murderer." She said, pointing across the room at Jesabelle. "She must suffer for killing him!"  
  
The rest of the assembly nodded their heads in approval as Parker was escorted out of the courtroom.  
  
"She makes me sick." Hermione said.  
  
"She deserves a good slap, she does." Luna said, her hand forming into a fist.  
  
Fudge and the rest of the council huddled together, discussing Jesabelle's punishment.  
  
Jesabelle sighed as she looked at Dumbledore and the others. Members of the Order had their faces set grim and angry as Harry and the others conversed about Parker as a so-called 'witness'.  
  
Five minutes later, fudge stood up.  
  
"I, Minister Cornelius Fudge, as with the support of my council hereby find Jesabelle Potter guilty of all charges that she has been presented with." Fudge said. "Her punishment," he paused, "will be life imprisonment, unless called back by the Ministry of Magic, and complete banishment from England and the Wizarding World. "  
  
The assembly's voices rose.  
  
"We know that the question on all of your minds is 'why keep her alive?'. But I say this to you; we shall keep her alive until we can find further use for her. This hearing is now adjourned."  
  
Fudge and the other council members gathered their things as Harry and the others rushed to where Jesabelle stood.  
  
Just as Fudge had said the last word, the same five Aurors that escorted her to the hearing unchained her and began escorting her towards the door that they entered through.  
  
"No!" Harry said as Jesabelle began to disappear behind the door.  
  
"Please, sir, keep your distance!" an Auror said. "Or we may have to call security."  
  
Harry watched as the door swung closed.  
  
They walked to the back of the courtroom, hope dwindling.  
  
"Harry." Jones said, coming up to him.  
  
"Auror Jones." Harry said as Sean Freedman emerged from the side, apparently, they did not notice him when they came in.  
  
"Auror Freedman." Ron said.  
  
"They're taking her upstairs tot eh Atrium, through the crowd, they are going to transport her through the fireplaces." Freedman said.  
  
"To the prison?" Neville asked.  
  
"No," Jones said, "to a secret safe house until it is safe to transport her to the prison."  
  
"Let's go then." Harry said, rushing down the hallway.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle was somewhat surprised at the Ministry's model of punishment, and it kept picking at her as the elevator reached the Atrium.  
  
As the doors opened, Jesabelle could hear the screams of the protestors.  
  
My, this really is going to be fun, she thought sarcastically as she and the Aurors stepped out.  
  
It was pandemonium as the protestors surrounded them, some clearing their path, others standing right in front of them.  
  
Jesabelle could hear their screams as she was showered with spit and insults from the crowd around her.  
  
"Death to Jesabelle Potter!" they yelled in unison.  
  
Harry and the others ran out of the door leading to the Atrium, having used the stairs instead of the elevator. Seeing Jesabelle disappear into the crowd, Harry, followed by Dumbledore and the Order, rushed after them, fighting their way through the crowd.  
  
The crowd was beside themselves with anger as they pushed and shoved each other, and the Aurors, so as to get a chance to try and rip Jesabelle's head off.  
  
Harry fought through the crowd and finally came up behind the Aurors just as a man broke out his wand forced the Aurors backward. The male protestor dropped his wand and grabbed Jesabelle's neck, choking her.  
  
"Here is the mighty daughter of the Dark Lord." He screamed. "What are you going to do now, little girl? You will pay."  
  
Jesabelle stared the man in the eye, and like Fudge, the man felt a twinge of fear, but it subsided as he pushed it aside, tightening his hold around Jesabelle's neck.  
  
The crowd screamed in entertainment as Jesabelle fought for breath. She didn't try fighting off the man, she knew she deserved it.  
  
"DEATH TO JESABELLE POTTER!" he screamed.  
  
The Aurors, momentarily surprised, got up, but Harry beat them to her.  
  
He lunged for the man, who he recognized as the same man who was stirring up the protestors when they reached the Atrium to attend Jesabelle's hearing.  
  
He punched him, sending him backward into the crowd.  
  
The protestors gasped and fell silent as Harry, filled with rage, eyed them angrily.  
  
Jesabelle coughed, having landed hard on the ground after Harry made the man release his grip on her.  
  
Harry, hearing her, turned around quickly and pulled her up to her feet.  
  
"Thanks Harry." Jesabelle whispered as Harry nodded and turned around, standing in front of her, shielding her from the crowd.  
  
Dumbledore and the others were busy helping the Aurors up.  
  
"Back off!" Harry screamed at the crowd. "Or else you'll end up like the man who is lying unconscious, or maybe even worse."  
  
An Auror made his way through the crowd, checking the man Harry had beat down while another one approached him.  
  
"How does it look?" he asked.  
  
"Out cold." The other responded.  
  
The crowd backed up a few steps, eyeing Harry with fear.  
  
Another Auror appeared and with the help of Dumbledore and the others, helped restore order in the crowd.  
  
Five minutes later, when the man Harry attacked was taken away by other Aurors, the five that had flanked Jesabelle earlier removed their wands and stood by her again, continuing on towards the fireplace, Harry and the others close behind.  
  
The crowd followed closely, though keeping enough distance so as not to go too near to any member of the Order or Harry for that matter.  
  
The Aurors made their way through and one of them threw powder into the nearest one, the flames turning purple.  
  
Two of them entered and the time, disappearing behind the flames. And just as Jesabelle walked into the fire with an Auror on each side of her, she turned her head and looked at Harry, giving him a small, but sad smile, and with a small pop, she disappeared as well.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hi everyone! I'm really sorry for the long time I've been taking to update (Ducks, narrowly missing bullets. I feel like Neo from the Matrix.). So what? Good, bad, ugly, tell me!  
  
Please read and review!  
  
Coming Up...............Stay Tuned!  
  
Chapter 36: Jesabelle is taken to the 'safe house', more on that (insert the worst word you could use) Gabriel Parker, and (sob) Draco's funeral service. 


	36. Affection

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor do I own Harry Potter. (J.K Rowling owns them, lucky woman.) I only own my original characters and my own original plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 36: Affection  
  
Jesabelle sighed as she lay on the small bed, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
After escaping the crowd at the Ministry, the Aurors brought her to a car, then they drove to the safe house, which, in truth, wasn't as far away from the Ministry of Magic Headquarters as she would have liked.  
  
Sean Freedman, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Hestia Jones then took over. Apparently, no one wanted to pull extra hours to watch over her in the Auror section of the Ministry, so the three said Aurors volunteered.  
  
She was happy, actually, that she was able to get them as her guards. Better them, than a bunch of thick headed amateurs fresh out of training.  
  
Sean Freedman walked into the small room, watching as Jesabelle turned her head and sat up in the bed, tucking her legs underneath her.  
  
She was still wearing her Hogwarts uniform, since the Aurors didn't allow her some time to change into something more comfortable, not even for the Hearing.  
  
"Here are your things; I was able to sneak them out of the evidence lock-up room." Freedman said, putting down the backpacks he was holding in his hands.  
  
"Thank you." Jesabelle said, looking out of the small window. She could see the trees that surrounded the invisible, unplottable house. She looked up, admiring the beautiful star filled sky, knowing with a pang in her heart that Draco was up there with them.  
  
"I wonder if there will be another night like this when I will be able to look out into the sky tonight and admire the beauty of the stars." She said, looking at Freedman, who had taken a seat next to the bed.  
  
"I wonder the same thing as well, especially since the talk of the war has been increasing since you were arrested." He said.  
  
Jesabelle sighed, opening one of the bags and pulling out a pair of flares and a black turtleneck, next digging through and pulling out her worn out sneakers, eyeing them as she placed them in front of her.  
  
"We'll be shipping you out in two days." Freedman said.  
  
Jesabelle nodded in response, returning her attention again towards the window, its bars reflecting the light that shown from the half hidden moon that began to appear in the sky.  
  
"Would you like to go to Draco's funeral service tomorrow?" Freedman asked.  
  
Jesabelle turned to him in surprise.  
  
"What?" she asked. "What do you mean?"  
  
"The service is taking place at a small estate on one of the Malfoy properties." Freedman said. "Narcissa wanted me to ask you if you wanted to attend. Only a handful of people are going, Harry and a few members of the Order included."  
  
"Harry's going to be there?" Jesabelle asked, shocked.  
  
"Yes, he said he wanted to pay his respects." Freedman said. "So, would you like us to take you? Narcissa has already ensured that no other Ministry official, besides those connected to the Order will be present."  
  
"What about Lucius?" Jesabelle asked, her tone iced over. "And the Death Eaters?"  
  
"None of them are stupid enough to show themselves in public." Freedman said. "From what Narcissa has told me, they are going into hiding until the uproar about you has died out."  
  
Jesabelle nodded again.  
  
"Yes." She said a few seconds later. "I would like to go and pay my respects."  
  
Freedman nodded and exited the room, locking the door behind him. Standard procedure.  
  
Jesabelle sighed and changed into her pajamas, daring the risk of slumber and sleep took her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"It has been done my Lord." Gabriel Parker said as she knelt before Voldemort, her head hung low as a sign of respect.  
  
"I am very pleased with you Parker." Voldemort said, patting her head lightly.  
  
"Thank you, my Lord." Parker said, rising as Voldemort dismissed her, leaving the room.  
  
"Everything is going well, my Lord." Lucius Malfoy said, appearing from the shadows.  
  
"Yes, all is going much too well." Voldemort said.  
  
"Does something bother you my Lord?" Malfoy asked.  
  
"Ah, Lucius do not think that everything is going well too soon, for we cannot see the future." Voldemort said.  
  
"And what of our Dragon in training?" Malfoy said.  
  
"He shall not be released to pillage the world with his strength and cunning until he and all is ready." Voldemort said. Malfoy's face portrayed that of disgust.  
  
"Until then, we shall watch my daughter, the Ministry, and Potter and this senseless 'Order of the Phoenix'. Then we shall push forward in the plan, and then we shall say that all will be well."  
  
"Do you think the curse has been taking its effect on Jesabelle?" Malfoy asked.  
  
"I do not think, Malfoy, I know." Voldemort said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle's eyes shot open, being met with nearly total darkness, discounting the oil lantern at the side table and the moonlight that shone through the small barred window.  
  
She was met with a pain on her Dark Mark.  
  
She shot up, clutching it as it burned through her skin. It began to bleed unto the thin sheets as she gritted her teeth to keep herself from crying out.  
  
Then, the pain subsided, and she exhaled heavily, sinking into the mattress, wiping her forehead with her right hand, finding it drenched with cold sweat, her palms already beginning to fill with it.  
  
She took slowing breaths in and out, trying to ease her pounding heart. She knew it; Parker was just put out there as some sort of pawn, like some sort of display, just so that they could make odds look even worse for her.  
  
If he thinks that after this I'm going to go home crying, he's wrong. Damn lover killer. I hate him.  
  
Jesabelle stole a look at the moon, remembering at once how much she missed its serenity in the times she was imprisoned in Azkaban. She looked away before her memories of the prison flooded her mind again. She needed to maintain control.  
  
She got out of the bed and changed into fresh clothes, removing bandages from her backpack and wrapping it around her wrist. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Shacklebolt and Freedman eyed the surroundings of the outside of the cabin as Jesabelle and Jones stepped into the car.  
  
In a few minutes, they would get to the Malfoy estate. Jesabelle's ensemble was that of black. Black pants, Black turtleneck, black shoes, black robes.  
  
She pulled up her hood and put on her sunglasses as the Malfoy country estate came into view; she didn't want to be recognized for who she was.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jones escorted her from the car, Shacklebolt and Freedman following close behind.  
  
Even if it was just a country estate, the mansion was humongous, to say the least.  
  
Humph, leave it to Lucius Malfoy to overdo things yet again, Jesabelle thought as they walked in through the double doors.  
  
The assembly only consisted of about twenty to thirty people. She saw Harry and the others sitting near the front, their faces set to neutral. She looked ahead, and her breath hitched.  
  
Draco's coffin lay ahead of her, the day's sunlight shinning upon it like a spotlight.  
  
Jesabelle turned away from the sight and saw Narcissa, sitting in the seat, in the row, closest to the coffin, silent tears running down her face. Jesabelle pitied her; she had watched her son die as she had. They both shared the same pain.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The service came and went in half an hour and the time came for the eulogies to be presented to the assembly.  
  
Jesabelle and the rest of the people present were surprised to see Harry step up the platform.  
  
"Good morning ladies and gentleman." Harry began, looking at the people in front of him.  
  
Jesabelle removed her sunglasses, just as Harry looked over at her direction. He recognized her instantly and gave her a small nod. Jesabelle returned the nod and Harry continued.  
  
"I know it is considered as very odd for me to come up here and say a eulogy for Mr. Malfoy, considering the type of relationship we had, but I thought this might be the most appropriate way to address a truce between myself and his spirit."  
  
Narcissa sniffled slightly and looked upon Harry, admiring his respect for her son. He was one of the few people who really did respect him, and to think, they were mortal enemies.  
  
"In the seven year that I knew Draco Malfoy, he was a Slytherin at heart. He was arrogant, mean, ambitious, proud, and damn near impossible to tolerate, if you don't mind me saying."  
  
From where she was standing at the back of the room, Jesabelle laughed through the tears that were beginning to fill her eyes.  
  
"In all the time that I knew him, that was the way her acted towards people, at least, until a certain girl came to Hogwarts."  
  
Ron and the others turned around, meeting Jesabelle's eyes, they nodded, and she returned the greeting.  
  
"We were always given the impression that Draco Malfoy did not have a heart; that he felt no compassion, and that he did not even know how to love. But when this girl, this woman, came to Hogwarts, she changed everything. She proved that Draco Malfoy did have a heart. She proved that Draco Malfoy was modest. She proved that Draco Malfoy knew how to love."  
  
Harry paused, letting everyone absorb what he had said. Only those who knew Jesabelle Potter knew that she was the girl Harry spoke of.  
  
"Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater; he was the son of Lucius Malfoy, one of the most dangerous Death Eater in England, and the son of Narcissa Malfoy, a now heartbroken mother."  
  
Jesabelle had twitched at Lucius' name and eyed Narcissa, who was still weeping silently. She thought of walking over to her and embracing, but thought against it; the Ministry did not need to know about her little appearance here, especially since she's being accused for his murder.  
  
Damn Parker, Jesabelle thought. One day, Jesabelle, one day she will die a most painful death.  
  
"But for this woman, he denounced the Dark Lord, and was tortured, ultimately resulting in his death." Harry continued. "What can we say now? Draco Malfoy did not do this out of arrogance. There is not pride in being tortured to death. But his purpose for it is nothing short of honorable."  
  
Jesabelle saw Ron and Neville nod their heads in approval.  
  
"He risked his life out of love for this woman. No longer can we say that Draco Malfoy did not know how to love. No longer can we say that Draco Malfoy did not have a heart. Today, we can say that Draco Malfoy is a man worth honoring, if only for today, despite the things he chose to do, and the side he chose to take."  
  
"Most of you may still be under the belief that he was nothing but a worthless Death Eater, just as you think Jesabelle Potter to be that way."  
  
Jesabelle twitched slightly at her names being mentioned paid it no further heed.  
  
"You may think what you want to think, but I beg to differ. I, Harry Potter, along with my friends, forgive Draco Malfoy for his transgressions against us. I say in front of those present here today that I believe that Draco Malfoy is innocent, and that I honor the memory of his soul. Thank You."  
  
No one clapped as Harry stepped off the platform, for everyone was impressed, but now was not the time to clap; they were supposed to be in mourning.  
  
Everyone began to shuffle around as they stood up to bid their last farewell to Draco's body.  
  
Jesabelle stepped up first, placing a single white rose on top of the lower, closed part of the coffin.  
  
Taking a steadying breath, she looked at his face.  
  
His pale face contrasted drastically with his blonde hair, which was not gelled back, but hanging down, framing his face. Jesabelle studied him. She knew the beauty he possessed, remembered every line, every feature of his face that she had memorized so long ago. The features that now would haunt her.  
  
She reached out to his face, touching it with his bare hand, nearly flinching at the cold of his skin. Tears sprang to life and rolled down her face as she withdrew, turning away, her hood still up, making her way to the back, where she found Narcissa waiting for her.  
  
"I am sorry for you loss, Narcissa." Jesabelle said softly to the aged woman in front of her.  
  
"I am sorry for yours as well, darling." Narcissa said, embracing Jesabelle, their tears falling feely, both mourning for the loss of the one man that shed light in both their worlds of darkness.  
  
And it was on June 26, Monday, that Draco Malfoy was buried, his body lying underneath the earth, but his soul finally released.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
St. Cecilia's Cemetery was just a ten minute drive from the 'safe house'.  
  
It was Tuesday, June 27, the day after Draco's burial, the day Jesabelle was going to be transported to the next prison that was willing to take her.  
  
Jesabelle looked out the window of the backseat of the car, watching as the trees passed by, the day warm, slightly shadowed by the rain clouds that were creeping in the sky above.  
  
Two minutes later, the car stopped, and Freedman opened the door for her and she stepped out, still wearing the same outfit she wore the day before; she had refused to take it off.  
  
She thanked Freedman and walked up the grassy field, passing the numerous graves that were spaced out. Most of the Malfoys were buried here. She would know, she knew almost everything there was to know about the top Death Eaters who served her father.  
  
But she wasn't looking at any of the graves, and even though she had never been to this cemetery, she knew exactly where she was going.  
  
She was carrying three white roses this time in her right hand, also carrying a piece of rolled up parchment as well.  
  
Five minutes passed before she finally ended up in a secluded section of the cemetery, seeing only one gravestone on the grassy field.  
  
Moving towards it, Jesabelle clutched the objects in her right hand tighter and arrived at the gravestone, crouching down in front of it, reading the text. She smiled inside; Narcissa put the exact words she had wanted to put.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco Malfoy  
1986 to 2004  
Beloved son.  
Damned Saint. Honorable Villain.  
Once an enemy, now a friend.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jesabelle's face portrayed that of fatigue as she traced the words on the gravestone with her index finger.  
  
Taking in a shaky breath, she tried to give it a small smile.  
  
"Sorry I didn't stay for the final burial, Draco." She whispered. "I didn't think I would have lasted five minutes."  
  
She paused, a slight breeze blowing through the cemetery, brushing the leaves of the trees.  
  
"They're shipping me off today." She continued. "I just wanted to leave you with something."  
  
With that, she placed the three roses at the foot of the grave and unrolled the parchment, reading to him what was written on it.  
  
"Affection." Jesabelle began.  
  
Drowning in the depths of cold despair  
Blinded by darkness, unable to breathe  
The ice cold water disguises my tears  
And bites my skin numb  
As I slowly fall to my death  
  
My soul struggles to be released  
I'm giving in, knowing there is no escape  
I know no one is here to save me  
Unexpectedly, a hand grabs mine  
And slowly pulls me out of despair  
  
His arms envelope me  
Giving up his warmth to save me, why?  
I've been alone all my life  
It was like he knew that all I wanted  
Was someone who cared  
  
He read me so clearly like a book  
How? Was I that transparent?  
I them look up to see the light  
The light of life and of bliss  
The light I wish I have never received  
  
The light surrounded us both  
My dark, cold memories faded with the darkness  
I was saved because he cared for me  
One out of a million, he cared  
I look up to thank him, but I see him fade and disappear  
  
Who was he? I wish I knew  
He saved me from the snares of death  
By being my light down the path to bliss  
He risked his life to save me  
From my own dark, cold despair  
  
He showed me that people could care  
That someone could risk everything  
Just to save you  
He showed me that no one should ever be alone  
That everyone should be happy  
  
He has taught me so much  
If only he was still here beside me to care for me  
Revealing his identity to me  
So I can thank him and show him  
What he had shone me  
  
"Affection." Jesabelle finished, tears running down her cheeks.  
  
She kissed her fingertips and pressed it against the headstone, closing her eyes and weeping silently.  
  
"Sleep well, my love." She said, her voice choked. "I love you Draco Malfoy. I'm sorry."  
  
She lifted up the sleeves of her shirt and of her robes to be revealing her Dark Mark and her Azkaban brand bleeding. She sighed, standing up, looking down at the grave a last time before turning away.  
  
She then came face to face with Blaise Zabaini, who happened to be another good friend of hers within her father's prison.  
  
"Blaise." She whispered.  
  
Blaise gave her a small smile before embracing her as she wept. Before she left, Blaise whispered in her ear, "Don't worry Jesabelle, he'll always be watching over you. He'll always love you, remember that."  
  
Jesabelle nodded and slowly walked away, giving the grave another look before continuing on.  
  
Blaise sighed, watching his best friend walk away, knowing the pain she endured. She never approached her before in the school year because of the whole rivalry between their houses. He didn't even know how he was going to approach her, especially since he hadn't seen her for two to three years. But he knew now, in the time that she would return, she would need him, and he would be there.  
  
Blaise looked at the grave, sadness filling his eyes as he looked upon the headstone, the rose petals beginning to come off due to the breeze.  
  
He bent down; picking up the parchment Jesabelle had left behind.  
  
"The soul that is imprisoned will someday be liberated Jesabelle." Blaise whispered to Jesabelle's retreating figure. "Your grief will leave you one day. One day, Jesabelle, you will be free."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yay! I'm finished! *Throws confetti in the air, but chokes on it. Cough. Cough.* Don't worry everyone, I will give you word on the sequel in the next Author's Note I will post after this chapter!  
  
Thank you to all of my reviewers!  
  
Please read review!  
  
P.S. Mystic Beauty wrote "Affection", not me, so give her the credit for the poem. Thank you. I love you Jenna (and your poem too)! 


	37. Author's Note

Hi everyone! I promised you an Author's Note and here it is!  
  
Okay, about the sequel, I should have it up very very very soon, so please keep a look out for it.  
  
It will be called............  
  
"Harry Potter and the Sacred Book of Prophecy"  
  
So please, check that out.  
  
Thanks for the reviews and I look forward to having more!  
  
jazzie-tin 


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